Politics · India Bureau
BJP accuses Kerala govt of stonewalling ED case against CM Pinarayi
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged that the Kerala government is resisting enforcement directorate recommendations to register a case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a major corruption scandal. The party claims a political understanding exists between the ruling Communist Party and Congress to suppress the inquiry.
LSN India ·
Kerala's BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday accused the state government of adopting a soft stance towards the Enforcement Directorate's recommendation to initiate proceedings against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in connection with the CMRL-Exalogic pay-off case. Chandrasekhar alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) government was shielding the chief minister from investigation despite the ED's formal recommendation to register a case in the matter.
The BJP leader claimed the delay in acting on the ED's recommendation points to a "match-fixing" arrangement between the ruling CPM and the opposition Congress party to collectively suppress corruption allegations in the high-profile case. According to Chandrasekhar, the two political rivals have tacitly agreed to maintain silence on the scandal to protect their respective interests.
The CMRL-Exalogic controversy involves allegations of irregularities in financial dealings between the Cochin Metro Rail Limited and the software firm Exalogic. The ED had submitted its findings recommending registration of a formal case based on suspected violations of money laundering provisions and financial regulations.
The Kerala government has not publicly responded to the BJP's allegations or clarified its position on the ED's recommendation. Political analysts note that such accusations of inter-party consensus to obstruct investigations represent a significant escalation in Kerala's ongoing political tensions surrounding the scandal.