Thiruvananthapuram, September 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A remark made by former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan years ago has resurfaced in the political conversation, with Alan Shuaib, one of the accused in the controversial Pantheerankavu UAPA case, turning the former Chief Minister’s own words back on him.
Alan posted a brief message on social media on Friday, apparently directed at Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena Vijayan and son-in-law P.A. Mohammed Riyas, who have come under scrutiny following an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe.
“All I have to say to Pinarayi Vijayan, Riyas and Veena is: ‘You didn’t go to have tea’,” Alan wrote.
The line recalls Vijayan’s response in November 2019 after Alan and his friend Thaha Fazal were arrested by the Kerala Police and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over alleged Maoist links.
The arrests sparked a political controversy, particularly because both students were known as CPI-M sympathisers and sections of the Left questioned the decision to invoke the anti-terror law against them.
When Vijayan faced questions from the media about the arrests, he had said: “They (Allan and his friend) didn’t go there to have tea, did they?”
The case was subsequently taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), also during Vijayan’s tenure as Chief Minister. Alan and Thaha spent a prolonged period in jail before securing bail.
Years later, Alan has revived the same phrase amid an ongoing controversy involving Vijayan’s family. The ED has reportedly sought action under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vijayan, Riyas, Veena and others based on its findings concerning financial transactions linked to CMRL-Exalogic.
The agency has submitted a 25-page report, along with supporting documents, to State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar.
Alan did not elaborate on his allegations or provide a detailed explanation. Instead, his one-line post appeared to deliberately echo Vijayan’s 2019 remark, giving the message a pointed political undertone.
The post has thus brought an old episode involving the Pantheerankavu case back into the public discourse, this time with Alan using the former Chief Minister’s own words in response.
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