KOLLAM: CPM state secretary M V Govindan on Friday alleged that the FIR registered by the Kerala police against Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan was intended to create an opportunity for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to register a case, and said the allegations against him were part of an attempt to discredit political opponents.
Speaking after inaugurating the CPM Kollam district extended committee meeting at Kottarakkara, Govindan said the case would not make any headway. He added that questioning Pinarayi Vijayan and Former Public Works Minister P A Mohammed Riyas was not an issue in itself.
Govindan also criticised the allegations against the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), saying that figures being cited against the agency were misleading and amounted to rejecting Kerala’s infrastructure development initiatives.
Former finance minister and Kottarakara MLA K N Balagopal also defended KIIFB, stating that calls to do away with the agency were unjustified. He alleged that politically motivated attempts to undermine KIIFB could delay the completion of major projects intended to benefit the public.
“If KIIFB has violated any laws or regulations, that can be examined,” Balagopal said while speaking to the media at Kottarakkara. He argued that the agency’s focus had been on infrastructure development and that restricting it to projects deemed commercially profitable was not the right approach.
Balagopal also said the government should file an appeal in the matter, adding that the criticism against KIIFB was politically motivated.
The remarks came as the CPM began its two-day extended district committee meeting at Kottarakkara on Friday. The meeting is expected to discuss organisational matters and key political and development issues affecting Kollam district.