KOCHI: Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan has lashed out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleging that the vigilance probe against him was illegal.
During a press conference on Thursday, Kuzhalnadan challenged Vijayan to prove that the ‘PV’ mentioned in the board’s findings was not referring to ‘Pinarayi Vijayan,’ and vowed to resign from his position as an MLA if proven wrong. These allegations revolve around payments made to Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter’s IT firm by a private company for services not rendered.
The MLA asserted that the only reason Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd paid Rs 1.72 crore to Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter, T Veena, despite her firm not providing any services was due to her father holding the position of Kerala CM. Kuzhalnadan called on the CM to rectify his “lie” and issue an apology to the public.”I am prepared to undergo any investigation as an ordinary citizen. I will fully cooperate with any inquiry in my capacity as a leader, an MLA, and an individual,” he said.
Kuzhalnadan further alleged that the permission granted for the vigilance probe was both “arbitrary and illegal” as it did not adhere to the established procedure under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He emphasised that he would not be demoralised by the initiation of a vigilance probe and would pursue legal means to address the situation. Kuzhalnadan also stated that he had the support of his party and its leadership, which provided him with the strength to continue his fight.