Thiruvananthapuram, August 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Thursday distanced itself from the financial transactions under investigation in the CMRL-Exalogic case involving Veena Vijayan, daughter of CPI-M leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as the Enforcement Directorate’s latest findings intensified the political controversy in the state.
CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said the party had neither any role nor any interest in the business arrangements under investigation.
“These are not a matter of concern for us. The CPI is not part of it and has no role in such give-and-take arrangements. We have no interest in it and will not have any role in it,” Viswam said.
He stressed that politics and business were separate and that the CPI had nothing to do with the transactions.
“Politics and business are separate. The CPI has nothing to do with it and has nothing to say about it,” he said.
The CPI is the second-largest constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and has often taken an aggressive position on allegations involving Congress and United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders, including demanding political accountability and resignations.
The Congress was among the first to attack Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI-M over the latest developments.
The BJP has also intensified its criticism of the CPI-M leadership. State BJP vice-president Shone George, who has pursued the matter for nearly two years, alleged serious financial irregularities involving Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter.
George claimed the developments represented a continuation of alleged corruption dating back to Vijayan’s tenure as State Electricity Minister and alleged that companies linked to Veena were used to launder proceeds. He said the ED’s formal statement on its findings showed that the investigation was moving in the right direction.
George also questioned why, according to him, Veena had not disputed the financial records that had emerged or initiated legal proceedings over the allegations against her company. He demanded that Vijayan resign as Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition, alleging that the latest developments had made his continuation in the post untenable.
Separately, Aam Aadmi Party Kerala chief and industrialist Sabu Jacob demanded the resignation of CPI-M State Secretariat member and former Minister Mohammed Riyas, who is Veena Vijayan’s husband.
Jacob questioned the explanation that Veena, an IT engineer, had the professional expertise to work as a consultant and receive substantial remuneration. He also referred to the case of former CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who had stepped aside from the party post after his son Bineesh Kodiyeri came under ED scrutiny.
According to the ED findings cited in the controversy, documents recovered during the investigation allegedly contained details of financial transactions exceeding Rs 20 crore, while Rs 85 lakh was allegedly transferred to Dubai through an overseas communication/hawala channel.
The allegations form part of an ongoing investigation and have not been established by a court.
The latest developments have consequently intensified the political debate within Kerala’s Left camp, particularly over political accountability and the CPI’s decision to maintain distance from the transactions under investigation.
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