Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala, has written to CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on the “wayward functioning” of the Left Democratic Front government in the state.

In a letter sent on Monday, the Congress leader urged Yechury to clarify whether the “Consultancy Raj” promoted by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was detrimental to the party’s opposition to hiring international consultants under the influence of funding agencies.

He cited some examples of how consultancy firms such as PwC, Ernst & Young and KPMG were facilitated “backdoor entry,” allegations that have already been denied by the government.

The context of the letter was the unfolding of a smuggling racket in the state in which the role of IAS officer M. Sivasankar had come under cloud. Sivasankar was recently removed as secretary to the chief minister’s office and principal secretary in the IT department and later suspended from service.