Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons. (File) Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons. (File)

Malayalees have a characteristic of seeing things in poor light and have a “DNA problem of backstabbing”, Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons has said, news agency IANS reported. The union minister, who was interacting with the media in Kochi on Sunday, said, “Malayalees have a characteristic of seeing things in a poor light, whenever another Malayalee achieves something. Malayalees have a DNA problem of backstabbing.”

The BJP leader was reacting to former Kerala DGP T P Senkumar’s criticism of the Centre’s decision to honour former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan with the Padma Bhushan. “When the Supreme Court has constituted a committee headed by a retired SC judge to find out the truth in the ISRO issue, those who are responsible to obey the court’s orders should have waited until the findings of the committee (were disclosed)…. If the committee finds Narayanan was a great scientist, I would not hesitate to welcome even if he is awarded the Bharat Ratna,” he had said.

Senkumar also claimed that Narayanan had made little contribution to ISRO. “I know thousands of scientists… I had asked them about the contribution of this man (Narayanan). Let someone say about his contribution.”

Upset over the fact that “no Malayalee likes to see another Malayalee achieve anything”, the minister said, “This attitude has to change, but do not know why this habit is so common among Malayalees. Malayalees should be happy that a fellow Malayalee has been recognised, but no Malayalee likes to see another Malayalee achieve anything.”

Narayanan, arrested in the ISRO spy case in 1994, was granted relief in September last year after the Supreme Court held that he had been framed. He was among those who received Padma Bhushan award on Republic Day. Narayanan had later dismissed Senkumar’s remarks. “The court had formed the committee to probe the role of police officials, not me. Senkumar is an accused in my petition. He may be jittery over that,” he had said.

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