The emergency department inspected around 10 locations across Kerala. Among them is Vijayan’s rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram, officials said.
CPI(M) MP John Prithas on Wednesday strongly condemned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence and alleged that the ruling Congress in the state was “part and parcel of this game”.
In response, senior Congress leader and MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor hit back at Pretas on
The ED inspected around 10 locations across Kerala under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Among them is Vijayan’s rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram, officials told news agency PTI.
CPI(M)’s big charge in Congress over ED raids
Prithas alleged that the Congress government in Kerala encouraged the ED to act against Vijayan.
“Kum Pinarayi n CPIM cannot be subjugated by such undemocratic tactics. The party is fighting back resolutely with the support of the people to defend democracy. It is clear that the Congress leadership has actively encouraged the CEO to target him, just as they did in the case of Arvind Kejriwal,” he wrote in a post on X.
Speaking on the issue, Britas said the party was not surprised by the developments. He compared the latest incident with previous incidents in which central agencies allegedly targeted the veteran leader and accused political rivals of banding together to weaken Vijayan through what he termed false cases.
“We are not surprised. This is clear evidence of political vendetta. Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan has been hounded by central agencies several times. During the Emergency, he was beaten up and there was an attempt to physically eliminate him,” Prithas told ANI.
Many cases have been falsely filed against him. We must also underscore the fact that the BJP is not alone in this unfolding drama; The Congress party is an integral part of this game.”
Shashi Tharoor has a counter
In his direct response to Prithas over Program X, Tharoor said there was “absolutely no evidence” to support the allegation against the Congress.
He wrote: “John, there is absolutely no evidence to support your last statement. @INCKerala began her rule in the spirit of reconciliation, with the outgoing PM being given a place of honor when she was sworn in. The new PM visited @pinarayivijayan’s home and paid his personal respects.”
“Do you think he would collude in something like this? And from what I have seen from the Union government, do you really think they are taking the lead from any opposition party, within or outside the state government?”
The action against Vijayan came a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) seeking quashing of ED proceedings in the case, allowing the agency to continue its investigations.
According to the ED case, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2024, CMRL allegedly made an illegal payment of Rs. $1.72 crore to T Veena, Vijayan’s daughter, Exalogic Solutions, between 2017 and 2020, even though the alleged IT company does not provide any services to the company.
With input from agencies
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