ED officials attacked by CPI(M) workers outside Pinarayi Vijayan’s house

ENFORCEMENT Directorate (ED) officials who raided the Thiruvananthapuram residence of Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan were attacked, allegedly by CPI(M) workers, on Wednesday, May 27.

Tension gripped the former Kerala chief minister’s rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram as a large number of CPI(M) workers gathered outside and staged protests against the central agency’s action. The protest later turned violent as party workers allegedly blocked the vehicles carrying ED officials and hurled stones, eggs, and bricks at them.

The windshield of an ED vehicle was shattered in the attack. Visuals also showed sticks being used to damage the vehicles as central security personnel and Kerala police struggled to control the agitated crowd. Women officials were also present in the convoy that was attacked.

The ED team had completed a seven-hour-long raid at Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence before the incident occurred. Senior CPI(M) leaders, including party state secretary MV Govindan, were present in the area during the protest. CPI(M) workers had staged a sit-in protest in front of the residence condemning the ED searches.

Speaking to the media, Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The ED has wanted to raid my house for a long time now. The Congress has taken a stand that everyone except its own leaders should be targeted by the ED. But these actions will not finish us. This is only the beginning. Do not think that we can be destroyed through such actions.”

He also said that today, it was proven that he has the full support of his party workers and the party.

The raids were part of an ongoing probe into alleged financial transactions between Exalogic Solutions, the now-defunct IT firm owned by Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena T, and a company called Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited.

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday carried out searches at 12 locations across Kerala, including Vijayan’s residence in Kannur, his rented house in Thiruvananthapuram, the residence of his daughter and son-in-law and former minister PA Mohammed Riyas in Kozhikode, the residence of CMRL managing director Sasidharan Kartha, and the company’s office in Aluva.

Reports said ED officials also recorded the statement of Pinarayi Vijayan during the search proceedings.

CPI(M) leaders detained in Delhi

In Delhi, the CPI(M) protest against ED raid at the residence of Pinarayi Vijayan was led by party's national General Secretary MA Baby.

During the protest, Delhi Police detained the demonstrators including senior leader Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau members Ashok Dhawale, Mariam Dhawale and Vijoo Krishnan, Central Committee members Vikram Singh, and Delhi State secretary Anurag Saxena. More than one hundred protesters were also detained.

Addressing the gathering, MA Baby strongly condemned the action carried out by the ED under the direction of the central government and stated that the raid on Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence was a politically motivated act of vendetta.

He pointed out that courts have repeatedly observed that Pinarayi Vijayan has absolutely no connection with the Exalogic case, yet the political witch-hunt against him continues unabated. He is now being targeted even for being Veena’s father.

He further stated that such an action taking place immediately after Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi raises serious questions and appears to be a politically orchestrated drama.

Several individuals whose names reportedly appeared in the CMRL diary continue to hold important positions in the state government. However, while ignoring all of them, the continuous targeting of Pinarayi Vijayan further exposes the political vendetta behind these actions.

He said that the party has no intention whatsoever of obstructing any investigation process. However, the blatant misuse of central agencies by the central government for political targeting cannot be accepted, a CPI(M) statement said. The party will mobilise people and organise strong protests across the country against the selective targeting of opposition leaders and the attacks on democratic rights.

The case

The raids came a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition filed by CMRL seeking to quash the ED probe. The court observed that no prior FIR was required for issuing summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

According to the case being investigated by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), Exalogic Solutions had received around Rs 1.72 crore from CMRL between 2015 and 2020 for IT and marketing consultancy services. However, the SFIO alleged that the payments were not for actual services rendered but were linked to settling a Rs 50 lakh liability owed by Exalogic to Empower India Capital Investments Pvt Ltd, a company owned by Sasidharan Kartha.

The ED probe is based on allegations of illegal financial transactions connected to these payments and their possible violation of provisions under the PMLA.

CPI(M) leaders condemn ED raid

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the residence of Kerala's Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan raise concerns over the weaponisation of central agencies against opposition leaders, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin said on Wednesday, May 27. 

As news of the raids broke, party workers and supporters gathered at several places in protest. Several top leaders have also condemned the ED action. Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the state government has no information regarding the raids and that the ED did not seek the state’s support in any way. 

Former Tamil Nadu CM Stalin said, “Such actions once again raise serious concerns over the growing pattern of central agencies being weaponised against opposition leaders.”

He added that the raid disproves Congress’s allegations that Pinarayi has links to the BJP-RSS, saying, “This also exposes the hollowness of the reckless allegations made by some Congress leaders who repeatedly questioned why Pinarayi Vijayan had not yet been targeted by the BJP!”

Several CPI(M) leaders compared the ED action to that taken against former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal. They also raised allegations of Congress's involvement in the action against Pinarayi. 

Former minister and CPI(M) leader MB Rajesh told the media that raids are proof that the BJP-led Union government is targeting the CPI(M) in Kerala.

“This move is similar to the one they executed in Delhi, targeting AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. We all know that the ED has no credibility at all; its conviction rate is less than 1%. The ED has been used by the Narendra Modi government to target and victimise opposition leaders and non-BJP party leaders. This is precisely what is happening in Kerala. This has happened in Delhi, and now it is happening here,” he said.

CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby called the raids “a targeted attack on a top opposition leader by the BJP government" and said such intimidation tactics will not work on either Pinarayi or the CPI(M). He even went on to ask, “Is the UDF government complicit in this raid?”

Former CPI(M) minister VN Vasavan even said, “Now it is evident that there is an alliance of ED, VD (CM VD Satheesan) and Modi against the CPI(M)."

CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan repeated similar allegations, asking, “How else can this raid, taking place immediately after Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi, be viewed other than as a politically orchestrated drama? Several individuals whose names reportedly appeared in the CMRL diary are today occupying positions in the state cabinet itself. Yet, while turning a blind eye to all of them, the relentless targeting of Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan only further exposes the clear political vendetta behind these actions.”

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas also shared a similar view, saying, “It is clear that the Congress leadership actively encouraged the ED to target him, just as they did in the case of Arvind Kejriwal.” He called the raids “yet another example of the systematic misuse of central agencies to harass and target political opponents. Such vindictive actions expose the authoritarian mindset.” He added that the CPI(M) will fight back resolutely with the support of the people to defend democracy. 

Tagging the ED action as a “political vendetta,” Brittas told the media, “We must also underscore the fact that in this unfolding drama, the BJP is not alone. The Congress party is part and parcel of this game. Just before the elections, Rahul Gandhi came to Kerala, descended upon the state, and his very first question was, ‘Why are central agencies not implicating Pinarayi Vijayan, arresting him, and putting him behind bars?’” 

Countering Brittas’ allegation on ‘X’, Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor said that the allegation against the Congress is baseless. “[Congress] has begun its governance in a spirit of conciliation, with the outgoing CM given a place of honour at the swearing-in. The new CM visited [Pinarayi Vijayan’s] home and paid his personal respects. Do you think he would connive at something like this? And from what you have seen of the Union government, do you really think they take their lead from any opposition party, in or out of the state government?” Tharoor asked.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that Congress does not have any relationship with the BJP. “Everyone in Kerala knows that the understanding was between the CPI(M) and the BJP. What happened to that understanding now, they have to tell the people. We are fighting with the BJP. We fought with the BJP and CPI(M) and came to power,” he told the media.

Several held

CPI(M) workers allegedly attacked vehicles carrying ED officials as they were leaving a seven-hour raid at Vijayan’s rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram.

Protesters threw eggs, bricks, and stones at the vehicles, smashing windshields and windows with sticks.

Following a tense, multi-hour standoff, several CPI(M) workers were reported to have been arrested in connection with the attack on the ED team, with reports indicating varying numbers of initial arrests.

Protests were held across Kerala, with party workers gathering at various locations to demonstrate against the central agency and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government.

Concurrently in New Delhi, the Delhi Police detained over 100 CPI(M) protesters, including senior leaders like Brinda Karat, during a protest at the ED headquarters.CPI(M) leadership described the raids and subsequent legal actions as a "politically motivated act of vendetta"