Kochi: Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on Sunday demanded the resignation of K M Abraham, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, following the Kerala High Court's directive for a CBI probe into allegations of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Addressing a press conference in North Paravur, Satheesan said it was shameful that Abraham, despite facing serious charges, continued to hold a key position in the Chief Minister's Office. He noted that the CBI registered an FIR against Abraham based on the High Court’s finding of prima facie evidence and observations that the Vigilance Department, functioning under the Chief Minister, had attempted to shield him.

Satheesan insisted that Abraham, a former Chief Secretary, must resign immediately. "If he refuses, the Chief Minister must remove him. Is the Chief Minister hesitant because Abraham was a witness in the Lavalin case?" he asked.

The Congress leader further alleged that Abraham had admitted, in a letter to the Chief Minister, to possessing 10,000 seconds of call data records of prominent individuals, effectively admitting to illegal phone tapping. "Is that the role of a Chief Principal Secretary?" Satheesan questioned. He recalled that former Karnataka Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde had resigned over similar allegations.

“It is ironic that under a CPM Politburo member who once advocated for legislation against phone tapping, his Principal Secretary now faces such serious accusations,” Satheesan said, adding that it reflects the dismal state of governance as the LDF government marks its fourth anniversary.

He also criticised the government for spending over ₹100 crore on anniversary celebrations amid a severe financial crisis. "This is a government that cannot pay cooking staff or other workers, yet splurges on grand events," he said. Satheesan pointed out that the state's debt had ballooned from ₹1.67 lakh crore in 2016 to ₹6 lakh crore under the LDF regime.

Highlighting public hardships, he alleged severe shortages of medicines in government hospitals, lack of essential supplies at Supplyco outlets, delayed payments to paddy farmers, and the disruption of social security pensions. "A government that doesn’t even have five paise in hand is hosting extravagant celebrations," he remarked.

On the "illegal payment scam" involving the Chief Minister's daughter, Satheesan said Veena T now claims she never admitted to receiving payments without providing services through her firm, Exalogic, from Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) during SFIO questioning. However, he pointed out that CMRL officials testified that payments were indeed made without any services being rendered.

He asserted that the case against Veena T is based on solid evidence uncovered during an Income Tax investigation, unlike politically motivated cases such as the National Herald case.

Satheesan further alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was trying to forge closer ties with the BJP ahead of elections. He cited Vijayan’s breakfast meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi and reports of upcoming dinner and lunch meetings as part of this strategy.

Regarding the Nilambur by-election, Satheesan said the Congress-led UDF would announce its candidate on the same day the election is notified.
(With PTI inputs)