Kerala Minister Defends Use of Friend’s Range Rover
Bharatmorning.com – Keralam minister defends use of friend’s Range Rover for official travel, saying no government rule requires a vehicle used by a minister to be owned by the state. Kerala Local Self-Government Minister KM Shaji made the remarks amid criticism over his use of the luxury vehicle and questions about a foreign trip allegedly sponsored by friends.
Speaking at a press conference, Shaji said the Range Rover belonged to a longtime friend he had known since his time as the MLA from Azhikode. He maintained that accepting transport from a friend should not automatically be viewed as an attempt to obtain official favours.
Minister Cites Rules on Official Vehicles
Shaji referred to a General Administration Department order dated May 23, 2026, which specified the registration number allotted to a minister’s vehicle. He also cited the Flag Code of India in relation to the display of the national flag.
According to the minister, neither provision states that an official vehicle must be government-owned. He argued that the relevant question was whether public office or official privileges had been misused, rather than who owned the vehicle.
“The vehicle in which the minister travels is the minister’s vehicle.”
Keralam minister defends use of friend’s vehicle by drawing a distinction between private hospitality and an abuse of power. He said critics should identify a specific law or rule that prohibited his conduct before treating it as wrongdoing.
Response to Lifestyle and Hospitality Questions
The minister said public representatives should not use official privileges for personal gain. However, he rejected the idea that meals, accommodation or transport offered by private individuals must always be considered improper.
Shaji said it was unfair to assume that every gesture of hospitality involved an expectation of future benefit. He acknowledged that his use of expensive cars and his lifestyle could invite public scrutiny, but said becoming a minister did not remove his private identity.
“Can you show me a law in this country that says what I did was wrong?”
He also alleged that an image circulated during the controversy was generated using artificial intelligence. Shaji said the criticism was partly linked to perceptions about his preference for luxury vehicles.
Foreign Trip and Departmental Allegations
During the press conference, Shaji displayed photographs of Left Democratic Front leaders with the businessman alleged to have sponsored his foreign trip. He used the occasion to raise allegations about corruption, nepotism and unethical practices in the Local Self-Government Department under the previous LDF government.
Shaji said there were around 10,000 appointments connected to the department and indicated that he would examine them. He alleged that some appointments had been obtained through party-office recommendations without examinations, while candidates who had cleared Public Service Commission examinations were still awaiting jobs.
He also raised concerns about BUDS schools, saying eight districts had lacked therapists for the past 10 years and that funds allocated in 2018 for modernisation had not been spent. The minister further alleged irregularities involving Kudumbashree Community Development Society offices in Attappadi, Wayanad, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha, where funds were intended for Scheduled Castes.
Questions Over Housing Project Costs
Shaji said a Vigilance investigation had been ordered into an Ernakulam housing complex. According to him, the project was built for ₹18 crore and later required repairs through another project valued at ₹28 crore.
As Keralam minister defends use of friend’s Range Rover, the dispute has expanded beyond the vehicle itself to include broader political allegations, public accountability and the standards expected of ministers in Kerala.
FAQ: Kerala Minister and the Range Rover Controversy
Who owns the Range Rover used by the minister?
Shaji said the vehicle belongs to a longtime friend known to him since his tenure as MLA from Azhikode.
What is the minister’s main defence?
He says no cited government rule requires a minister’s official vehicle to be owned by the government, and he has asked critics to identify a law that expressly prohibits its use.
What other issues did Shaji raise?
He spoke about alleged irregularities in departmental appointments, BUDS schools, Kudumbashree offices and an Ernakulam housing project.