Ganesh gets life after ‘sorry’ to wife

T'puram: Transport minister K B Ganesh Kumar appears to have averted a possible resignation following the infidelity and assault charges raised by his wife Bindu Menon after he apologised to her and gave an explanation to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.There was speculation that Kumar might be forced to step down as the CM and the CPM brass were reportedly unhappy with the controversy. With the assembly elections nearing, the ruling LDF was keen to avoid a crisis, particularly involving allegations concerning a woman.Sources said a message was conveyed to the minister to resolve the issue before the cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, failing which he might be asked to stay away from it. Under pressure, Kumar is learnt to have first spoken to the relatives of Menon and later to her, offering an apology for the developments.The minister attended the cabinet meeting and later held a closed-door chat with the CM. During that, he reportedly told Vijayan that the matter was a family issue and was resolved between him and his wife.Menon later indicated that she wished to end the controversy. She told a television news channel that Kumar contacted her sister on Monday and spoke to her again on Tuesday morning. Menon said Kumar apologised and added that she had no complaints against him. She also stated that she would not leave him and that she was not interested in pursuing any complaints.Meanwhile, Youth Congress working president Binu Chulliyil filed a complaint to the state police chief against the CM's daughter, Veena Vijayan, and former DGP R Sreelekha.The complaint follows Menon's claim that she earlier discussed the issue with Veena and Sreelekha. Chulliyil alleged that Veena and Sreelekha were complicit in the incident and demanded that cases be registered against them for allegedly covering up the matter. Menon's decision came as a relief for LDF, with CPM leader and speaker A N Shamseer contending that it was a "closed chapter".Congress, meanwhile, stepped up its demand for the minister's resignation, saying the issue cannot be settled so easily.KPCC president Sunny Joseph said that it was not a simple family matter that could be settled. "If the minister does not resign, then the CM should show the energy to remove him," Joseph said in Delhi. Similar views were expressed by opposition leader V D Satheesan, senior Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and K Muraleedharan and party MP Jebi Mather. SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan also demanded Kumar's resignation.Protest marches were taken out in Pathanamthitta by the UDF, KSU, Youth Congress and Mahila Congress against Kumar, but he said he was not going to resign when there were only a few days left in the current govt.