Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders and workers take out a protest march in Kannur on Wednesday against the raid by the Directorate of Enforcement at Pinarayi Vijayan’s house.
| Photo Credit: S.K. MOHAN
The Directorate of Enforcement on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) concluded its search at the residence of Leader of the Opposition and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Pandalayamukku in Kannur.The raid at Mr. Vijayan’s house began around 7.30 a.m. and continued for several hours.According to the Mahazar prepared after the inspection, no documents related to the case were recovered from the residence.Workers' protestAs ED officials came out of the Kannur house, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] workers gathered outside, raised slogans and shouted at the officials in protest. The situation turned tense as protesters blocked the officials from leaving the area for some time.Party leaders were later asked to intervene and ensure a safe passage for the officials. CPI(M) leader M.V. Jayarajan appealed to party workers to disperse and allow the ED team to leave.Large-scale protests had erupted outside Mr. Vijayan’s residence soon after the raids began. The demonstrations later spread across Kerala.'Joint act by CPI(M)-Congress'Senior CPI(M) leader P. Jayarajan alleged that the ED raids linked to the CMRL-Exalogic case marked the beginning of a “joint operation“ by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress against the Left in Kerala.After visiting the residence of Mr. Vijayan at Pinarayi in Kannur, Mr. Jayarajan accused the central agency of acting at the behest of the Sangh Parivar. He alleged that the investigation team had obtained permission from the Kerala High Court to proceed with the probe even before the Delhi High Court delivered its verdict in the Exalogic case.Describing the ED as an” extra department of the Sangh Parivar,” Mr. Jayarajan said the raids were part of a politically motivated attempt to target leaders opposing the BJP. “The Congress leaders themselves are victims of the ED. This is a new chapter in the malicious attempt to implicate leaders who oppose the Sangh Parivar in false cases,” he said.'To weaken the Left'Mr. Jayarajan claimed that Kerala remained a “protected island of secularism” and alleged that the Sangh Parivar’s strategy was to weaken the Left in order to establish dominance in the State. He accused the Congress of helping create an anti-Left atmosphere. “The raids will be fought politically as well as legally,” he said.The CPI(M) leader further alleged that the removal of the Left governments from power elsewhere in the country was part of a deliberate political strategy. According to him, weakening the CPI(M) was essential for the Sangh Parivar to gain influence in Kerala. “To establish dominance in Kerala and destroy the bastion of secularism, they must first break the CPI(M)," Mr. Jayarajan said. Published - May 27, 2026 05:06 pm IST
