Thiruvananthapuram, August 20: The recent investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the CMRL-Xalogic case has stirred political turmoil in Kerala. The Communist Party of India (CPI) distanced itself from allegations involving former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter, Veena Vijayan, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified its attacks on the CPI(M) leadership and its associates.
The Congress party was the first to criticize Vijayan and the CPI(M).
State CPI Secretary Binoy Viswam stated that the CPI has no role or interest in such business arrangements. He emphasized that this issue does not concern them. “CPI is not part of this, nor do we have any involvement in such transactions. We are not interested, and we will not be involved,” he said.
Viswam further clarified that leftist politics and business are entirely separate and have no connection with each other.
The ED has alleged that documents uncovered during the investigation revealed financial transactions exceeding ₹20 crore, with approximately ₹85 lakh reportedly sent to Dubai through foreign communication/hawala channels.
These allegations are still part of an ongoing investigation and have not been confirmed by the court.
BJP state vice president Shon George, who has been raising this issue for nearly two years, directly targeted Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing him and his daughter of serious financial irregularities.
George claimed that these developments are an extension of long-standing corruption that began when Vijayan was the state’s electricity minister. He alleged that companies linked to Veena were allegedly used to legitimize illegal earnings (money laundering).
He noted that the ED has now formally issued a press statement regarding the investigation’s findings, asserting that it is progressing in the right direction.
George also questioned why Veena has not raised any objections to the financial records that have surfaced or initiated any legal action regarding the allegations against her company. He demanded that Vijayan resign from his position as the leader of the opposition in Kerala, as recent events have made it difficult for him to remain in that role.
Separately, the Kerala chief of the Aam Aadmi Party and businessman Sabu Jacob called for action against former minister Mohammad Riyas.
Referring to the ED’s investigation results, Jacob demanded that Riyas resign from the CPI(M) state secretariat.
He raised questions about Veena’s professional expertise as an IT engineer, suggesting that she had the qualifications to work as a consultant and receive substantial payments in return.
Jacob also cited the example of former CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who resigned from his party position after his son Binish came under the ED’s investigation.
Meanwhile, Viswam of the CPI has taken a markedly different approach. Instead of demanding clarification or political accountability, he stated that the party has no connection to these transactions.
Now, the LDF may face questions about whether it would maintain such political distance if similar allegations were made against Congress or any other UDF leader.
As the investigation continues, this controversy has evolved beyond just Veena’s business dealings.
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