CPI(M) to resist CBI intervention; U-Turn over CM's statement on Gold smuggling case

The CPI(M) on Saturday seemed to be taking a U-turn over the involvement of Central Agencies in the investigation of several cases in Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had asked for Central probe into the Kerala Gold Smuggling case and had later stated that the investigation by the central agencies is going in the right direction. However, CPI(M) Kerala state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that BJP is using central agencies to intervene in Kerala politics and asserted that the party will resist any such move by BJP. 

This comes after the CBI filed a case in the Life Mission Project to probe the possible kickbacks in the project, after the Kerala government ordered a vigilance probe, and after the ED lodged a case against Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's son Binesh Kodiyeri.

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"The decision of the Centre to hand over the probe into the Life Mission Project to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is politically motivated and unusual. BJP had sabotaged governments in Congress-ruled states using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Congress had opposed CBI strongly," Balakrishnan said while addressing media after CPM's state secretariat meeting. To support his stand, Balakrishnan also cited examples of various other states' leaders who blocked the probe by central agencies.

"Mamata Banerjee has ordered the CBI not to probe cases in Bengal. When Chandrababu Naidu became the Chief Minister, he denied the power to CBI to investigate in Andhra Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress chief minister had taken a stand against CBI. In Rajasthan too, the Congress chief minister himself took a stand against the CBI. It was decided not to take up any case," he said.

"That Congress is now demanding CBI probe in Kerala on the Life Mission Project. If the intention is to overthrow the Kerala government through this, the people of Kerala will be able to oppose the move legally and politically. There will be many more interventions. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) can survive that and move forward. A political campaign will be organised for it. The aim of BJP and Congress is to sabotage LDF," Kodiyeri added.

Corruption in Life Mission Project

The Kerala government has ordered a vigilance probe on September 24 into the allegation of commission in connection with the Life Mission project at Wadakkanchery. It was during the probe into the gold smuggling case, that the corruption in Wadakkanchery Life Mission project came to the fore with a statement of the accused Swapna Suresh opening up a new controversy. Allegations were raised by the opposition that huge kickbacks were given as commission in the project to build 140 apartments in Wadakkanchery. Congress MLA Anil Akkara had filed a complaint with CBI alleging fraudulence in the Life Mission project. Also, the Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala had demanded the CBI probe. He also lambasted Kerala CM for not making public the copy of the MoU between the state government and the UAE-based Red Crescent Authority.

Balakrishnan's discontent also follows the Enforcement Directorate filing a case against his son Bineesh Kodiyeri under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED on September 9 had interrogated Bineesh for 11 hours under the suspicion of money laundering and reports stating Bineesh being the director of a visa stamping company which is connected with Gold smuggling scam.

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