Kerala CM lashes out at national agencies as probes gets into top gear

Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, known for his tough demeanour, on Monday went hammer and tongs at national agencies, which are presently probing a few cases in Kerala.

"None had any doubt when the probe began, but of late doubts have started creeping in ever since the news of what's going to happen the next day comes out through the media. Selective leaks are taking place. In short the agencies are not working the way it should happen as it lacks professionalism. Evidence collection takes place in a prejudiced manner," said Vijayan.

Numerous agencies which include the Customs, the NIA, the CBI and Income Tax are having a hectic time in Kerala since July 5 when the gold smuggling case surfaced, followed by the probe into the pet project of Vijayan: Life Mission (a project which builds homes for the homeless using sponsorship money).

By now his former secretary and senior IAS official M.Sivasankar has been arrested by the ED, so is  Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

And what hurt him badly is the move by the ED when it wrote to Chief secretary Vishwas Mehta to produce all the files related to K-Phone ( providing internet  to all at very low rates), E-Mobility ( a project to run electric buses) Smart City- Kochi and a mega IT project - Down Town.

"There are agencies like the CAG who are the competent authority and not other agencies. The game plan in doing this is to project the State government in poor  light . In Life Mission, by now a senior official has been summoned by a probe agency a few times. This is  being done purposely to create fear in the minds of officials. One can understand political parties coming  under duress, but here officials are being put under stress. Let me make one thing very clear, we will not succumb to these arm twisting tactics," thundered Vijayan.

"The people will have faith only if agencies do their job in the way it should happen but here it's happening in a pre-scripted manner. At present all the accepted norms and limits have been crossed and we the state government also has rights  just like the Centre. The state government is not a slave," added Vijayan.

He emphasised that the K-Phone project will go forward and it will become a reality, come what may.

"These things have never happened before and that's what we have opposed and we also have measures to take," added Vijayan.