Communist parties engage in war of words over CM's daughter's case

Thiruvananthapuram: A war of words erupted between the two Communist parties in the ruling alliance of the Pinarayi Vijayan government on Saturday, centred around the controversy involving his daughter Veena Vijayan’s now-defunct IT firm, Exalogic.

On Friday, CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam expressed that while the CPI supports the Chief Minister, it does not extend the same to his daughter. He also stated that the chief minister’s daughter has the right to operate a company and enter into business contracts.

In response, State Education Minister V. Sivankutty, a close ally of Vijayan, criticised Viswam on Saturday, suggesting that the appropriate forum for such remarks would have been the LDF meeting.

“Viswam should not worry about the case against Veena. Veena knows how to handle the case against her. The case is nothing but a political one, and the LDF has strongly supported Vijayan. Viswam should put his views at the LDF meeting,” said Sivankutty.

The CPI, as the second-largest ally in the ruling Vijayan government, has occasionally voiced its dissatisfaction with the CPI-M and Pinarayi Vijayan's perceived "big brother" approach to governance.

Viswam and his party expressed their reservation on the implementation of the PM Schools for Rising India scheme, while the last Cabinet meeting on April 9 decided to defer it.

“What’s wrong with an infrastructure project of the Centre. Viswam has opposed it, and things have come to a stage where he speaks like the Leader of the Opposition,” said Sivankutty.

“The party is strongly behind the Chief Minister against whom this witch hunt, unleashed by agencies, a section of the media, and a few political parties, is going on. We will fight this politically,” Govindan asserted.

"I wish to ask what happened to the gold smuggling case when similar allegations came thick and fast. There was such a hue and cry that was made by many over it... finally, today, no one even talks of it. There is a deep-rooted conspiracy right now going, and we, the CPI-M, will be lock, stock, and barrel with the Chief Minister," he added.

Shortly after Govindan's press conference concluded, news broke that a court in Kochi had accepted the SFIO's charge sheet regarding the alleged illegal deal between Exalogic and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL). Following a detailed review of the charge sheet, the court formally registered the case.

The SFIO has, by now, found out that Veena Vijayan's IT firm had allegedly received a monthly gratification of around Rs 2.70 crores from the CMRL for mining sanctions.

Vijayan had recently reportedly lost his cool when the media asked a flurry of questions about his daughter, and he responded curtly by saying, "You (media) want my blood, but will not get it easily."

(inputs from IANS)