Kerala Government Under Scrutiny Amid Multiple Investigations
Keralas V.D. Satheesan government faces scrutiny with 16 investigations launched, many linked to the previous LDF administration.
Thiruvananthapuram, November 2 (Daily Kiran) : The Kerala government, led by V.D. Satheesan, is facing significant scrutiny as it has initiated 16 major investigations within less than six months of taking office. Twelve of these inquiries are directly tied to the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].
This wave of investigations has drawn parallels to May 2016, when Satheesan’s predecessor, Pinarayi Vijayan, assumed power after defeating the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). One of the first actions taken by the Vijayan administration was to investigate all cabinet decisions made by the Chandy government from January 1, 2016, until the announcement of assembly elections in March of that year.
Interestingly, at that time, Satheesan had collaborated with senior Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran to raise serious questions about many of those decisions. However, investigations later found no irregularities in the cabinet’s actions.
Now, a decade later, as Chief Minister, Satheesan has initiated multiple probes into decisions and controversies linked to the previous administration. Among the most notable is a vigilance investigation into financial transactions involving the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), which was a key infrastructure funding agency under the former LDF government.
A special police team is also investigating alleged financial irregularities related to the proposed visit of Lionel Messi’s Argentina football team to Kerala. Additionally, the Crime Branch is looking into alleged irregularities in the Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations and appointments, including those for senior positions.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing allegations of attacks on Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) protesters outside the Secretariat. Other investigations include alleged financial irregularities involving former Kannur District Panchayat president P.P. Divya, discrepancies in the Chewayur Service Cooperative Bank elections, the Vadakara ‘Kafir’ screenshot controversy, and protests related to a flight carrying a former chief minister.
The vigilance inquiry into financial transactions involving CMRL-Exlogic, which includes Vijayan and others, is currently stalled due to a High Court order halting further proceedings.
The government asserts that these investigations are being conducted in accordance with legal protocols and necessary procedures. More cases may come under scrutiny in the coming days.
The rapid initiation of so many investigations has sparked significant political discourse regarding the current government’s stance on allegations against the previous administration.
