Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has responded for the first time regarding the controversial interview published by The Hindu. He stated that he has no connection with any PR agency and that he was approached for the interview by the son of former MLA T.K. Devakumar. At the same time, the Chief Minister expressed that, since The Hindu had shown proper regret for publishing matters he did not say, he would not take legal action. He clarified this during a press conference held after a cabinet meeting.
The Chief Minister’s comments came in response to The Hindu’s explanation regarding the interview. Initially, two individuals came for the interview, and then another person arrived, who sat for about half an hour. However, the Chief Minister mentioned he did not know who this person was, assuming he was part of the media team.
According to the Chief Minister, The Hindu approached him through Devakumar’s son, Subrahmanyan. “It was Devakumar’s son who told me that The Hindu wanted an interview. I had no objection to giving an interview to The Hindu. Two people, including a journalist, came and asked questions. I said I wouldn’t answer questions about Anwar, as I had already provided explanations on that matter. While I was speaking in the interview, another person came in, and later I learned that he was from the agency,” the Chief Minister explained.
He mentioned that he has known Devakumar’s son since his youth, which is why he agreed to the interview. He noted that The Hindu had taken a respectful stance by expressing regret. “I don’t know what happened in connection with them. I have not appointed any agency, nor do I know anything about it. The government has not appointed any PR agency either. The Hindu has clearly stated that including matters that the Chief Minister did not say is incorrect. Several P.R. agencies in the Gulf have been contacted years ago, and I don’t know what that is all about now. The media seems to be focused on how much damage they can cause. I am not a person whose character can be damaged in that way,” he said.
Devakumar’s son indicated that The Hindu was interested in conducting the interview. The Chief Minister mentioned that he agreed when the request was made. He stated that Devakumar’s son has not been in contact regarding the controversy thus far. Meanwhile, The Hindu had previously clarified that the P.R. Agency approached them for the interview. Despite the publication of an interview containing controversial remarks related to the Malappuram district, The Hindu had provided an explanation, and for two days, neither the Chief Minister nor his office had responded.
