Complaint Filed Against Congress MP Anto Antony Over Election Affidavit Irregularities

Pathanamthitta (Kerala): A complaint has been filed before the Election Commission against Congress MP from Kerala’s Pathanamthitta, Anto Antony, accusing him of irregularities in his election affidavit and suppression of financial details. The complaint was submitted by S. Manoj, a member of the CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district committee, seeking a detailed probe into discrepancies in the asset declaration submitted during the election.

The complaint comes in the wake of serious disclosures made by N. M. Raju, owner of Nedumparambil Finance in Thiruvalla, who is facing investigation in connection with the Sabarimala gold theft case. Raju stated that Congress MP from Pathanamthitta, Anto Antony, received two crore rupees from him in 2019 in the name of election campaigning, promising to return the amount within two months. Seven years have passed, but only twenty lakh rupees have been repaid. Raju has stated that even during a severe financial crisis faced by his firm, repeated requests to return the remaining amount were ignored.

When questioned by the media, Anto Antony admitted that he had received money but did not disclose the total amount involved. He also failed to clarify the exact nature of the transaction or the basis on which the money was taken.

The matter gains further seriousness in light of findings by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which secured documents showing that Kandararu Rajeevaru, the arrested Sabarimala thantri in the gold theft case, had deposited two crore rupees in a private financial institution in Thiruvalla. The same institution is the source from which Anto Antony received funds. This financial link has raised serious questions about the nature of the transaction and the relationship between the MP and those connected to the Sabarimala case.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged a protest demanding a comprehensive investigation into Anto Antony’s financial dealings and his connections with individuals involved in the Sabarimala gold theft case.

In a statement, DYFI said that there is clear inconsistency in the MP’s explanations regarding the transaction. The organisation demanded a thorough probe to bring out the full facts, stating that photographs and information that surfaced recently point to a close association between Anto Antony and those accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case. DYFI further said that it is deeply suspicious that the MP received money from the very same institution where the arrested thantri had deposited funds.