THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that his daughter Veena was not allowed to present her version of events before the IT department’s interim settlement board. “The transaction mentioned in the report between CMRL and Exalogic was not discovered by them (IT department). It was properly documented in the accounts of CMRL and Exalogic. The agency did not seek Veena’s input,” he told reporters, while also accusing the media of targeting him and his family under the pretext of the IT report.
Pinarayi denied the statement in the report that he, among some other politicians, received money from the CMRL. The report said the acronym PV in the CMRL’s accounts referred to Pinarayi Vijayan. “There could be multiple individuals represented by the acronym PV. I cannot provide any commentary on the assumptions made by the officers appointed by the Union government. I want to clarify that I have not received any funds from them,” he said.
He criticised the IT department for allegedly misusing his name and suggested that their actions were politically motivated to shift the investigation toward him.
Cooperative sector
Regarding the cooperative sector, Pinarayi claimed that the Union government was targeting Kerala’s cooperative sector and attempting to tarnish its image. He cited previous instances during demonetisation when similar efforts were made and underlined that all sections of society had united against those attempts. He accused the investigation agencies, including the ED, of defaming politicians under the guise of probing malpractice at a bank.
He praised the government’s effective actions in the Karuvannur case, stating that the Crime Branch was conducting a thorough investigation.
Regarding K B Ganesh Kumar, named by the CBI in a conspiracy against Oommen Chandy, Pinarayi noted that the full details of the conspiracy were still unknown, and various information was emerging. He suggested that the conspiracy might have been created by some individuals to gain certain positions.
He welcomed a probe if the UDF or Congress demanded it but noted that the Opposition seemed to be retracting their demand for an investigation.”The issue is deliberately being brought up by certain individuals. There are differing viewpoints within the opposition itself. If the opposition wishes to request an investigation into the alleged conspiracy, they can do so in writing. The government will make suitable decisions after thoroughly assessing the legal aspects involved,” he said.Pinarayi stated that any new debate on solar issues would affect Oommen Chandy rather than himself.
Mobile loan apps
The CM expressed concern about suicides related to loans from mobile apps and called on the Union government to take a strong stance against such apps. He mentioned that the state government would seek RBI’s sanction to make it mandatory for such agencies and that the state police would form a special wing to investigate cases involving these apps.
Pinarayi announced his participation in the Loka Kerala Sabha meeting in Saudi Arabia and reiterated his allegation that Opposition MPs did not cooperate with the government’s efforts to pressure the central government against financial restrictions imposed on Kerala.
Regarding actor Alancier’s remarks, Pinarayi called them unfortunate and stated that such words could erode people’s affection for public figures. He highlighted that Puthuppally faced a unique situation following Oommen Chandy’s passing, and this was evident in the election results.
CABINET RESHUFFLE MEDIA AGENDA: CM