Kochi, May 27 (IANS). A sharp political dispute broke out in Kerala on Wednesday due to Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at different locations related to the controversial Exalgic-CMRL payment dispute. In this, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) accused the BJP-led central government of using central agencies for political vendetta. At the same time, BJP sought answers on the alleged financial transactions related to Veena Vijayan, daughter of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The ED raids followed protests by CPI(M) workers in different parts of the state with several party leaders alleging that the action was a political vendetta against the former Kerala Chief Minister.
As part of the investigation, the ED conducted searches at several places, including the houses of Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena Vijayan and former state minister and son-in-law PA Mohammed Riyas. These search operations immediately took the form of a political controversy, in which the ruling party and the opposition started accusing each other.
CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby strongly condemned the raids and alleged that the BJP government at the Center was targeting opposition leaders through investigative agencies. In a statement, the party said the raids were aimed at intimidating Vijayan and the CPI(M).
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the state government had no prior knowledge about the ED operation and the central agency had not sought any help from the Kerala Police during the raid.
Chennithala told reporters, “The Kerala government or the Home Ministry has no information about this raid. They did not even ask us for any help. Therefore, we have no information about this raid. This question should be asked to the ED itself.”
However, senior BJP leader and MLA V Muraleedharan questioned CPI(M)’s response and sought clarification on payments allegedly made by CMRL to Veena Vijayan. He asked that if your hands are clean, then why panic? Can the party explain why CMRL gave money to Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter?
The Kerala unit of the CPI(M) also criticized the ED action, calling it a deliberate attack on federalism, democracy and the constitutional right to political protest.
The party also questioned the silence of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala and asked whether the UDF was involved in this ongoing vendetta against Vijayan.
The CPI(M) Kerala unit said, “Leaders who consistently challenge the BJP-led central government and refuse to bow to Sangh Parivar politics are being targeted through intimidation, media trials and selective investigations. When political opponents cannot be defeated democratically, the BJP resorts to ED, CBI and Income Tax raids to harass and suppress opposition voices.”
The Kerala unit of the CPI(M) said this is not a mere investigation but a deliberate attack on federalism, democracy and the constitutional right to political protest.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Riyas said that CPI(M) workers will continue their struggle against the Sangh Parivar and will not be afraid of such actions. “You can attack but we will never bow down to the Sangh Parivar. We will continue to fight till our last breath,” he said.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) workers and party-affiliated trade union workers held protests at several places across Kerala following the ED action against Vijayan and his family members on Wednesday.
–IANS
PSK/PM