As CPM vows to correct mistakes, party closes ranks behind Pinarayi, Veena, Riyas in ED probe

Kozhikode: As the CPM's extended State Committee meeting concluded after a three-day exercise to identify and correct the party's organisational and political mistakes, the leadership also closed ranks behind Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and State Secretariat member Mohammed Riyas, mounting a strong defence of the three against allegations in the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) probe.

The resolution adopted at the meeting accused the ED of conducting a politically motivated "witch-hunt" against the party's leaders and vowed to fight it both legally and politically. General Secretary M A Baby and State Secretary M V Govindan reinforced the position at the mass rally marking the meeting's culmination, signalling that while the party was acknowledging its own mistakes, it was not prepared to concede the allegations against its top leaders and would politically stand by them.

The resolution said the party would strongly confront, both legally and politically, the ED's move targeting Pinarayi and Riyas and his family. It defended the transactions between Exalogic, a company owned by Veena, and CMRL, saying they were based on a legally valid agreement and that payments for services were made through transparent bank transactions. It also pointed out that the company had paid applicable income tax and GST.

The party alleged that the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board's reference to Veena's political connection without giving her an opportunity to be heard showed that the proceedings were politically motivated. The subsequent involvement of other investigative agencies, it said, had reinforced the party's assessment of a "witch-hunt".

The resolution also alleged that the ED had failed to find evidence warranting a case despite raids at the residences of Pinarayi and people associated with Riyas. It further claimed that a statement alleging that hawala money had been handed over to Riyas was obtained by threatening a friend, who later submitted an affidavit saying the statement was false and unlawful.

Addressing the mass rally marking the culmination of the State Committee meeting, Baby alleged that the ED was "writing well-crafted scripts" with the aim of weakening the CPM in Kerala. He said the BJP-led Centre was attempting to intimidate CPM leaders in the same manner in which, he alleged, Congress leaders had been targeted through the ED and subsequently forced to join the BJP in states such as Tripura and West Bengal.

Govindan also strongly defended Pinarayi, Veena and Riyas, alleging a deliberate attempt to implicate them in the ED case. "There is a deliberate move by the ED to make them accused in the case. ED authorities are collecting statements and interpreting them according to their wishes to tarnish their image through the media. We will strongly fight against it," he said.