Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI(M) on Tuesday criticised the UDF government for ordering a police inquiry into the alleged CMRL bribery case based on an ED report involving former Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas.
It also questioned the Congress leadership’s stand on the use of central agencies against Opposition leaders.
Soon after Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala announced that the state government had entrusted the Director General of Police with an inquiry into the ED’s report, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby said the party would face the matter “legally and politically”.
“This has to be faced legally and politically. There have been many instances of the Enforcement Directorate being used to achieve the BJP’s political objectives,” Baby told reporters in New Delhi.
He said there were several instances of central agencies being used to target Opposition parties and threaten their leaders, following which some of them were brought into the BJP.
“Everyone knows that the BJP has brought many people from the Congress and other parties into its fold in this manner,” he claimed.
The CPI(M) and its leadership would not abandon the party and join the BJP or become its ally because of such threats, Baby said, adding that the saffron party had not understood this.
He said the Congress leadership at the national level had been opposing the use of central agencies against itself and other Opposition leaders.
“But in Keralam, a strange situation has emerged where the state government appears to be joining hands with the (Narendra) Modi-led government in targeting the CPI(M),” he alleged.
This was something the Congress leaders in Keralam and the state government must analyse politically, he said, adding that the Congress central leadership should also examine it.
“What is the stand of the Congress leadership at the national level against the way agencies under the Narendra Modi-led government are targeting Congress and other Opposition leaders?” Baby further asked.
Reacting to the development, Riyas said he had not committed any wrongdoing and would move forward with confidence.
“Nothing has been done wrong. So, will move forward confidently,” he said.
Riyas said all political parties other than the BJP had strongly criticised the ED’s approach and functioning, with the Congress being one of the parties that had been at the forefront of such criticism.
“That a Congress-led state government has taken a decision to order an inquiry based on an ED report is something society will discuss,” he said, adding that legal action against “fake news” would continue.
Earlier, Chennithala said the decision to order the probe was taken after the government examined the legal opinion of the Advocate General, who had left it to the state police to decide the further course of action on the ED report.
The ED had sent a letter to State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar seeking registration of an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vijayan, Veena and Riyas, based on “evidence” allegedly gathered during its probe and searches conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Chennithala said the DGP had received the AG’s opinion and forwarded it to the Home Secretary.
The Home Secretary then placed it before the government for directions on further action.
“Based on that legal opinion, a discussion was held with the chief minister this morning. Following the discussion, an order assigning the DGP to conduct an inquiry into the matter will be issued within minutes,” he added.
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