Kerala CM: Not viewing SFIO chargesheet seriously

T'puram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said he was not viewing the SFIO chargesheet naming his daughter, Veena T, as a serious matter and asserted that the case should be allowed to take its legal course. "This is a case which is in the court. Let it go on. I'm not viewing it seriously," Vijayan said, responding to questions at a news conference held in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Serious Fraud Investigation Office recently filed a chargesheet in a special court under the Companies Act, naming Veena as the 11th accused in a case involving her IT firm Exalogic Solutions and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd. The filing triggered fresh political debates and media scrutiny, particularly over the role of Vijayan's family.
Asked about the comparisons with a previous case involving the son of former CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan — where the party refrained from offering explicit support — Vijayan drew a distinction. "In that case, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's name was never dragged in. Here, the case begins by naming my daughter, which clearly shows the intention behind the PR campaign," he said.
Vijayan argued that the two cases were not comparable, stating that one was being deliberately politicised while the other was not. "The difference is evident. That's why the party has taken a position in this matter — it understands what is at play," he said.
As questions around his daughter's role persisted, the Vijayan appeared visibly annoyed. "You people don't seem too concerned about the facts. You're only interested in seeing how far this will go and whether I'll resign. Let's see," he said, criticising sections of the media.
He also responded to the opposition's allegation that the acronym "PV" mentioned in an Income Tax Settlement Board report referred to him. "The opposition is making such claims while conveniently ignoring the fact that there are other names in the list — clearly identifiable names from their own side," Vijayan said.
He rejected the notion that Veena's company received unaccounted money. "The payments were recorded, GST was paid and the company stated that services were provided in return. These facts are on record," he said. "The probe ignored all this and selectively built a narrative."
BJP demands high-level probe
BJP on Wednesday demanded a high-level probe into allegations of corruption against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala govt and his resignation. This came after senior CPM leader and former state minister G Sudhakaran reportedly raised questions on the Kerala govt's claims of the state being number one on various fronts under the Left front dispensation.
At a news conference here, BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said Sudhakaran, who was a minister in the Left govt, has asked relevant questions. "He has asked if Kerala is now number one in drug abuse in India. He has talked about the health sector, which is in a royal mess. He has also talked about the education sector, which has been compromised. He says for the last two years, there has been paper leak," Vadakkan said.