Kasaragod: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is making sentimental statements to evade questions about the alleged summons sent by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to his son, said Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan.

"Even (CPM General Secretary) M A Baby has reacted to the issue. Does the Chief Minister expect the Opposition to stay silent," Satheesan asked, speaking to the reporters in Kanhangad on Tuesday, October 14.

He said the ED had confirmed that a notice was sent to Vijayan's son, Vivek Kiran, at the Chief Minister's official residence at Cliff House. "The Chief Minister must clarify whether the notice was related to the Life Mission case or the Lavalin case. Kerala is not interested in his emotions but in answers," he said.

To be sure, the Chief Minister said he was unaware of such a notice from ED, let alone receiving it. Vijayan added that he was proud of his children and confident they would never do anything that could bring him disrepute.

Satheesan questioned why the ED had kept the notice under wraps and whether pressure from top officials or political leaders had led to the closure of further proceedings. "I have unofficially learnt that instructions came from above to drop the case. The ED must clarify this," he said.

He said that the 2023 notice can still be tracked on ED's website. "It’s only now that the public has come to know about it, thanks to the media. What conspiracy is there in reporting what's already on the ED website?" he said.

Responding to the Chief Minister’s claim that "someone" had warned of an "explosion", Satheesan said: "I never said a bomb would go off. I only said the CPM should be cautious. Many things have already surfaced, including the sale of the gold-clad Dwarapalaka idol to a businessman. More will follow.

He alleged that the BJP and the Union government were protecting Vijayan. "Our allegation about an unholy CPM-BJP alliance stands proven. The Lavalin case has been adjourned 35 times. Would that happen if it involved an ordinary person?" he said.

Satheesan said that while the ED is used as a political weapon against Opposition leaders in BJP-ruled states, cases in Kerala are quietly buried. "In 2023, soon after the Chief Minister’s son received the notice, ADGP M R Ajith Kumar met RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale as the CM's envoy. Initially, the meeting was denied; later, it was justified," he said.

He added that the LDF’s own defeated candidate in Thrissur, V S Sunil Kumar, had confirmed attempts to help the BJP candidate Suresh Gopi during the polls. "Pinarayi Vijayan maintains this unholy relationship with the BJP leadership and visits top leaders whenever problems arise. The alliance is real and ongoing,” Satheesan said.