There is no need for the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] to discuss the probe by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) against Exalogic Solutions Private Ltd, the company owned by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter T. Veena, in connection with the alleged monthly pay-off controversy, CPI(M) Kerala State secretary M.V. Govindan has said.
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Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha district of Kerala on April 17 (Wednesday), Mr. Govindan said the ED probe involved two companies and the CPI(M) had “nothing to do with it.”
“Let them investigate and arrest anyone. The ED is the goonda gang of the BJP and the Union government. It is trying to create a conducive political climate for the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Despite all the efforts, the BJP is not going to win the elections. All the noise around the ED probe will draw to a close after April 26 (polling date in Kerala),” said Mr. Govindan, adding that the party had responded when attempts were made to attack the Chief Minister on the issue.
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Mr. Govindan hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for spreading “falsehood” about the Karuvannur bank scam issue. “The ED has not unravelled anything beyond what the Crime Branch probe discovered. Of the matured deposits, only ₹51 crore is pending to be returned. A good number of people have renewed their deposits in the bank. When that is the case, the Prime Minister spoke like a lower-level Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist on the issue,” Mr. Govindan said.
He asked how the Congress party, “which is not using its flag and that of its partner Indian Union Muslim League during the campaign in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency out of fear of the BJP”, could fight fascism in the country.
“During the 2019 polls, the BJP propagated that the Congress used Pakistan flags in Wayanad. It should show courage to say that it is the flag of the Muslim League and not of Pakistan,” the CPI(M) leader said.
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‘Congress silent on CAA’
He said the Congress was silent on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
Regarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism that the Kerala Chief Minister and the CPI(M) were targeting him, Mr. Govindan said the Congress leader could not prevent Congressmen from joining the BJP.
“The Congress is saying that the fight is between them and the BJP. At the same time, two of its top leaders are contesting Lok Sabha polls from Kerala where the BJP is not strong. Several BJP candidates contesting the polls nationwide were previously with the Congress. In Kerala, children of two former Congress Chief Ministers had joined the BJP. Four NDA candidates contesting Lok Sabha polls in Kerala are former Congress leaders,” he added.
Mr. Govindan said the Congress had also benefitted from the electoral bonds “scam.”