ED Raids on Vijayan’s Residences ‘Politically Motivated’: CPI(M) Gen Secy

New Delhi: CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby on Wednesday alleged that ED raids on the residences of former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and others were “politically motivated” and termed them a “disgusting attack”. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Baby said the CPI(M) would prove publicly that the raids were “politically motivated”.

Citing reports, he alleged that two ministers in current Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s cabinet also received money from Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd (CMRL) and this should be investigated.

He said such moves would not scare the CPI(M) or Vijayan and “anyone who thinks of this does not know the party or its leader very well”.

Recalling Vijayan’s past experience as a Communist leader, CPI(M) leader Baby said the former Kerala CM was arrested while he was an MLA and was subjected to brutal police attack during the emergency declared by Indira Gandhi.

In a post about X, Baby raised questions about the political context of the raid.

“Is the Congress-led UDF in Kerala complicit in this crackdown?” he asked, suggesting that the incident warrants examination of possible political coordination.

A total of 10 buildings in the state, including the 81-year-old former CM’s rented house in the state capital, a location in Kannur and homes of VIPs of CMRL, a private organisation, are being raided by the ED as part of the probe into his daughter Veena T in the CMRL money laundering case.

The action was taken a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by the CMRL seeking to quash the ED proceedings in the case and thus allow the central agency to continue its investigation.

According to ED’s case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2024, CMRL made illegal payments of Rs 1.72 crore to Veena’s company Exalogic Solutions between 2017 and 2020, even though the IT firm had not provided any services to the company.