THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former minister KT Jaleel said that the first Pinarayi government had appointed Justice Cyriac Joseph as the Lokayukta since it had no other option. Jaleel was responding to the criticism raised against the Pinarayi government for appointing Cyriac Joseph as Lokayukta despite Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley's dissent against his appointment as a member of the National Human Rights Commission.

'As per the current law, there were only two eligible candidates. However, one gentleman refused to accept the post. This meant that the government had no option other than appointing Justice Cyriac Joseph as Lokayukta,' Jaleel wrote on his Facebook page.