CPI(M) Will Not Surrender to ED's Threats in Keralam, Says MV Govindan

Kozhikode: CPI(M) and the Left movement will not surrender to the threats of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Keralam, CPI(M) State Secretary MV Govindan said. He alleged that the ED was targeting party leaders and workers with the objective of completely weakening the party.

Govindan said the raids conducted at the houses of CPI(M) district secretariat member P Nikhil and others were aimed at extending the investigation to party State Secretariat member P A Mohammed Riyas. He said the party would confront such moves politically and legally.

Govindan was speaking after inaugurating a public meeting titled ‘Politics of the ED’, organised by the CPI(M) district committee at Muthalakkulam.

He alleged that the ED was functioning with political motives. “If the ED has evidence, it should present it before the court. Instead, it is issuing press releases and creating a smokescreen with the help of a section of the media,” he said.

Nine houses in Kozhikode were raided recently on the grounds that the occupants had connections with Mohammed Riyas, Govindan said. He described the raids as part of an attack targeting party leaders and sympathisers and alleged that the objective was to weaken the CPI(M) by targeting its leaders.

Govindan also questioned the ED's inaction over BJP's alleged financial irregularities and the expenditure of crores of rupees during elections while targeting CPI(M) leaders.

He alleged that the CMRL-Exalogic case was an attempt to portray former Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as corrupt through his daughter Veena. After that effort failed, he claimed, there was an attempt to portray Vijayan's son-in-law Mohammed Riyas as corrupt.

According to Govindan, the ED registered 5,900 cases and conducted 7,450 raids over 12 years. Chargesheets were filed in only nine per cent of these cases, while courts have convicted accused persons in just 25 cases.

He said the CPI(M) in Keralam would emerge stronger by confronting what he described as false campaigns by the media and the UDF and by withstanding continued attacks from central investigative agencies.