KOZHIKODE: The CPM on Sunday went on the offensive against the enforcement directorate (ED), accusing the agency of targeting the party and its leaders for political reasons over the CMRL-Exalogic case.
“The CPM in Kerala has no intention of surrendering to the ED pressure. Attempts to intimidate or weaken the party will not succeed,” said CPM state secretary M V Govindan after inaugurating a public meeting on ‘ED’s politics’ organised by the party’s Kozhikode district committee at Muthalakkulam against the recent ED searches in Kozhikode and the agency’s “politically-motivated investigation.”
Govindan alleged that the agency was attempting to expand the investigation into the CMRL case to CPM state secretariat member P A Mohamed Riyas by searching residences of people associated with the former minister. He alleged that the action was an attempt to target CPM leaders, workers and sympathisers. “If the ED has evidence, it should produce it before the court,” he said.
“The party will confront the ED’s actions both politically and legally. It will not be intimidated by raids targeting its leaders, workers or sympathisers,” Govindan said.
Alleging that the ED had increasingly been used as an instrument to target leaders and organisations critical of the BJP-led Union government, he claimed that BJP leaders were largely spared from ED action while Opposition leaders were subjected to raids, questioning and arrests.
Referring to cases involving leaders in Assam and West Bengal, Govindan alleged that the ED’s investigations followed a pattern in which political leaders facing investigation subsequently moved closer to BJP, after which the cases allegedly lost momentum.
Govindan said the case involving Exalogic should be investigated on its own merits and that Veena Vijayan, the daughter of former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and promoter of Exalogic Solutions, should face any legitimate investigation concerning the company.
“The investigation is being projected as a case involving ‘Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter’ to portray him as corrupt,” he alleged, adding, “After the attempt to politically target Pinarayi Vijayan failed, the focus was now shifting towards Riyas, who is married to Veena.”
He also questioned the ED’s record, saying the agency registered around 5,900 cases and conducted approximately 7,450 searches over the past 12 years, but convictions were secured in only a fraction of those.
