People of Kerala, have you forgotten? Do you recognize the person whose face was smeared and polished with Palmolein?
On Thursday, November 26, 2015, the then Chief Secretary, Mr. Jiji Thomson IAS, said that every Christian should work to turn India into a nation for Christ, stating, "we have a great mission in India..." It is shameful to speak of a former Chief Secretary like this. One officer of DGP rank is in Poojappura Central Jail, while another walks around acting as a mouthpiece for the Congress party.
During the bicentennial celebrations of the Old Seminary in Kottayam, speaking on the platform of the Malankara Orthodox Church, Mr. Jiji Thomson said: "I am not standing here as the Chief Secretary of Kerala, but as a proud son of the Malankara Orthodox Church." He added that the church's primary mission is to share the Gospel and that every Christian should participate in personal evangelism.
(This statement can still be found in the public domain today.) And he was the Chief Secretary!
September 26, 2026...
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi is protesting against the Election Commission and against democracy without any basis, alleging that the Election Commissioner deleted the names of Congress voters from the electoral rolls. The protest is targeted against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Mr. Gyanesh Kumar.
That was when, as if adding fuel to the fire, Mr. Jiji Thomson appeared on Asianet News with a statement.
Jiji Thomson claimed that during a flight to Delhi in 2016, Gyanesh Kumar—who was then a central Home Ministry official—asked him to contest on a BJP ticket and promised to make him a Union Minister in 2019. Rahul Gandhi immediately re-shared this Asianet News report on his X handle.
Did you know? Gyanesh Kumar and Jiji Thomson worked together in Kerala for years and were friends. Moreover, in 2016, "OC Sir" (Oommen Chandy) had considered Jiji Thomson as the Congress candidate for Vattiyoorkavu (and considered him again in 2021, though Mr. K. Muraleedharan did not agree; screenshots of the Asianet news exist). This private conversation may have occurred around 2016 when BJP leader Alphons Kannanthanam was being considered for appointment as Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh (equivalent to a Governor). There is a reason for this: Jiji Thomson is a favored figure of the Church (the secret behind this disclosure will be explained at the end). Given these circumstances, if Gyanesh said something in private, this would be the context.
Even setting that aside... Sir, why disclose something after ten years that was said in 2016 by Gyanesh Kumar, who was merely a government official at the time?
You didn't mention this in 2019, nor in 2024, nor in 2025 when Gyanesh Kumar assumed charge as CEC. So, isn't something amiss? If an IAS officer made such a proposal back then, why didn't you report it when you had the opportunity? What about whistleblower provisions? Why wasn't it reported—especially by someone who retired at the rank of Chief Secretary? Is what I said right or wrong?
There are several allegations against you:
1) 2015 Religious Evangelism Controversy: On November 26, 2015, while serving as Chief Secretary of Kerala, you stated on a public platform: "I am not standing here as the Chief Secretary of Kerala, but as a proud son of the Malankara Orthodox Church," and urged Christians to spread the Gospel worldwide. Terming this a violation of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, the opposition CPM demanded your removal from office, and a complaint was submitted to the DGP. Is this correct? You escaped consequences back then only because Oommen Chandy was Chief Minister.
2)Palmolein Case: In the case involving alleged irregularities in importing palmolein from Malaysia during K. Karunakaran's tenure as Chief Minister in 1991–92, you were an accused as the then Managing Director of the Civil Supplies Corporation, weren't you? While being an accused in this case, weren't you appointed as Chief Secretary by the Oommen Chandy government in 2015? There are allegations that religious leaders intervened to secure this position for you, Sir.
3)Post-Retirement Appointment & Expenditures: Immediately after retiring as Chief Secretary, your appointment as the Chief Minister's strategic advisor was heavily criticized by the CPM and others. There were news reports that while construction on a government-allotted house was nearing completion, ₹1.5 crore was spent on another house in the capital, including ₹60 lakh just to renovate a bathroom... I was truly astonished reading about your exploits, Sir.
Now, a few questions...
1).In 2016, Modi had been in power for only two years, and Gyanesh Kumar was merely a government official. How does suggesting to a friend that becoming an MP or Minister in the ruling central party would be a good way to serve the public constitute a major conspiracy? Has the channel broadcasting this stooped so low?
2).Former Chief Election Commissioners of India themselves have entered politics later. M. S. Gill contested as a Congress candidate against BJP's Jaswant Singh and became a Union Minister. T. N. Seshan ran as a Congress candidate against Mr. L. K. Advani in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Were they non-partisan back then, Asianet?
3).Did Gyanesh Kumar conduct the 2014 election or the 2019 election? Congress lost on those occasions as well.
4).M. S. Gill, who served as Election Commissioner during Congress rule, later joined the UPA Cabinet. So if it's Congress, it's not a problem at all, right?
5).If Gyanesh Kumar said so much, why not also mention where he asked you to contest—Pathanamthitta or Kottayam?
Moreover, wasn't this a private conversation? Can a private discussion between two acquaintances be portrayed as a conspiracy? Isn't it normal for two people who know each other to talk about the ruling party? Besides, Gyanesh Kumar could also share what all Jiji Thomson said.
Mr. Jiji Thomson, Sir...
What do you have to say about Rajiv Gandhi asking Mr. S. Krishna Kumar, an IAS officer hailing from Kollam, to resign and enter politics? He was an IAS officer back then. In 2016, after your retirement, if someone suggested moving toward nationalism, what is wrong with that?
Furthermore:
Here are prominent individuals who served as judges in the Supreme Court of India and later joined the Congress party, becoming Rajya Sabha MPs through it:
°Justice Ranganath Misra: The 21st Chief Justice of India, he joined the Indian National Congress after retirement and served as a Rajya Sabha MP representing Odisha from 1998 to 2004 on a Congress ticket.
Justice Baharul Islam: He was initially a Rajya Sabha MP representing Congress but resigned as an MP in 1972 to become a judge. Later, while serving as a Supreme Court judge, he resigned six weeks before his retirement to re-enter active Congress politics, subsequently becoming a Rajya Sabha MP again.
Vijay Bahuguna: While not a Supreme Court judge, he was a senior judge in the Allahabad and Bombay High Courts. He resigned from his judicial post to join Congress and later became the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer: Don't you know him, Mr. Thomson? He was a rare personality who transitioned from politics to the judiciary. After serving as a Minister in Kerala's E. M. S. (Communist) Ministry, he later became a judge of the Supreme Court.
Here are a few others as well:
Rajesh Pilot: His original name was Rajeshwar Prasad Bidhuri. Serving as a Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force, he participated as a bomber pilot in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. He joined Congress at the instance of Indira Gandhi. Later, as per an election official's suggestion, he officially added "Pilot" to his surname. Note this point: the very authority that refused former DGP Sreelekha IPS's request to retain "IPS" in her name citing rules allowed the title "Pilot" to be appended to a name 50 years ago!
Suresh Kalmadi: He served as a fighter pilot and flying instructor in the Indian Air Force from 1964 to 1974, retiring as a Squadron Leader. He entered Congress politics through Sharad Pawar, was elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Pune, served multiple terms in the Rajya Sabha, and worked as Minister of State for Railways in P. V. Narasimha Rao's cabinet.
N. Uttam Kumar Reddy: A prominent fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force who flew MiG-21 and MiG-23 aircraft, he also handled security duties for official presidential flights. After retiring from the Air Force, he joined Congress, served multiple terms as an MLA and Minister, and held the position of Telangana PCC President.
So, all these individuals can join and work for Congress, but if Gyanesh Kumar asks someone in a private conversation whether they would consider joining the BJP, will the sky fall, Asianet?
Finally...
We know the root cause behind all these protests: religious conversions—specifically Christian conversions. The Union Government is set to introduce an FCRA bill in the upcoming Parliament session to curb this.
Let's recall the statement made by Mr. Jiji Thomson on November 26, 2015:
"The church's greatest mission is to share the Gospel. Every Christian should participate in personal evangelism..."
Once the FCRA regulations are implemented, foreign funds for evangelical activities won't flow freely from America. If funds arrive, every account must be declared, and illegal conversions won't be possible. Do you now understand why Mr. Jiji Thomson joined this protest against Gyanesh Kumar, which is essentially an anti-FCRA effort?
