Politics · India Bureau
Kerala minister draws fire over use of luxury car as official vehicle
K.M. Shaji, a minister in the Kerala government, has become embroiled in controversy following photographs showing him with a luxury vehicle bearing official insignia. The images have sparked a political row, with supporters praising the move while opposition parties have questioned the appropriateness of using a loaned vehicle for official duties.
LSN India ·
Photographs of Kerala Minister K.M. Shaji posing beside the vehicle, complete with the national flag mounted on its bonnet, circulated widely across social media and news outlets this week, triggering a political debate in the southern state. Supporters of the minister have applauded his decision to use the car for official engagements, while critics have raised concerns about the practice of deploying a loaned luxury vehicle as a government conveyance. Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders, a dominant political force in Kerala, have been particularly vocal in their opposition to the arrangement. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions within Kerala's political establishment regarding the use of government resources and the protocols governing official vehicles. Shaji has not yet issued a formal statement addressing the criticism or clarifying the circumstances surrounding the vehicle's deployment for official purposes.