CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan. File

| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretary M.V. Govindan on Tuesday reiterated the party’s position that the Enforcement Directorate’s case in the Exalogic-CMRL deal was politically motivated and targeted at Leader of the Opposition and Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan and his son-in-law and CPI(M) State secretariat member P.A. Mohamed Riyas. He said the party would fight the case legally and politically. At the national level, the Congress was opposed to the misuse of Central agencies for political ends, but whether the Congress-led UDF government in Kerala, under a cloud over its alleged nexus with the BJP, would oblige the ED and launch an anti-corruption case against Mr. Vijayan and Mr. Riyas was something the State was waiting to see, Mr. Govindan added. Explaining the genesis of the case, he said ever since the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) began pursuing it, the CPI(M) State Committee knew who the real target was and had taken a strong stand against it. Going by the agency’s claim of having stumbled upon a diary containing donations to the tune of ₹182 crore made by the Kochi-based CMRL, the list contained many names, including those of the late Oommen Chandy, present Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty. Mr. Vijayan’s daughter T. Veena’s company had received money in return for the services it rendered the CMRL and had also paid tax on the same. The fact that it was singled out and investigated clearly smacked of political vendetta, Mr. Govindan argued. He said it was ironical that the ED’s letter seeking the registration of a corruption case was now in front of Mr. Chennithala. Mr. Govindan also argued that for a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act to hold, there should be something to suggest that Mr. Vijayan, as Chief Minister, had extended some undue favours to the company. But there was none, and the mala fide allegation was made only because Ms. Veena was Mr. Vijayan’s daughter.Mr. Govindan said while Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan and BJP leader Shone George had moved the court levelling these allegations, the court had found no merit in them. The case against the “baseless” findings of the SFIO inquiry was before the Delhi High Court and the ED’s latest move stemmed from the realisation that the case would be dismissed soon, he maintained. Citing the Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank case, Mr. Govindan accused the ED of making real wrongdoers approvers to fix senior CPI(M) leaders and alleged that the same modus operandi could be behind the case hinging on a supposed statement made by a CMRL employee. Mr. Govindan said Central agecies were used to persecute and imprison former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, but he was discharged by the court. In States like Assam and West Bengal, these agencies were weaponised to drive political defections, Mr. Govindan said. Published - September 08, 2026 09:07 pm IST