'Attack on CPI-M, not me': Pinarayi Vijayan breaks silence on ED move

Kerala's Leader of Opposition and ex-Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressed reporters on Saturday regarding the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) attempt to file a corruption case against him, his daughter Veena Vijayan, and son-in-law Mohammed Riyas. The ED's request to register a case stems from the CMRL-Exalogic transactions. Vijayan described the move as part of a decade-long assault on the CPI-M and claimed that central agencies were being leveraged to target political opponents.

The former Chief Minister questioned the ED's narrative, pointing out that the company CMRL had allegedly suffered losses while receiving undue benefits. He demanded evidence of any personal benefits he might have provided to CMRL during his tenure. Vijayan pointed out that a 2024 Congress MLA case against CMRL-Exalogic had failed and that the Supreme Court had dismissed the allegations.

He also recalled that the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) retained power in 2021 despite the allegations surfacing even during floods and the gold smuggling case.

Vijayan asserted that he had faced relentless attacks since the LDF's formation in 2016, including allegations that resurfaced during the recent gold smuggling case. He dismissed claims that Veena had admitted wrongdoing before the ED as false. The opposition leader rejected the notion that the ED's actions were a personal vendetta and emphasized that they targeted political adversaries using central agencies.

He vowed to fight the matter, both legally and politically, and cautioned against underestimating the ED's reach. The CPI-M State Committee meeting was underway, adding a political dimension to the ongoing investigation.