CPI-M cautious after Cong MLA exposes CM Vijayan in illegal gratification case of daughter's IT firm

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 14 (IANS) A day after Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnadan came out with documents indicating the manner in which Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan allegedly favoured the mining firm CMRL in lieu of illegal gratification to his daughter’s IT firm, the beleaguered CPI-M is on the defensive.

According to sources, the CPI-M has asked its top leadership to exercise caution and refrain from making any provocative statements in the wake of Kuzhalnadan’s revelations and the party is also trying to find out how the crucial documents reached Kuzhalnadan’s hands.

Veena Vijayan is the sole director of Bengaluru- based IT firm Exalogic which is in a dormant state at present.

The CPI-M leadership is trying to figure out how the crucial documents reached the hands of Kuzhalnadan though they are under the custody of the Industries Department.

The leak of the incriminating papers is baffling the CPI-M leadership as the Industries Department is manned by officials close to the party.

Kuzhalnadan said it was way back in 2004 that CMRL got a mining lease in four areas in Alappuzha and until 2016 successive state governments were doing their best to ensure mining was done only in the public sector after CMRL got verdicts in its favour from Kerala High Court.

However, Vijayan after assuming office in 2016 has been favouring CMRL. The probes by the Registrar of Companies and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) have found that Rs 1.72 crore was received by Veena’s IT firm after 2016 from CMRL, where the state-owned KSIDC has around 13 per cent stake.

On Tuesday the CPI-M used the Assembly Speaker to prevent Kuzhalnadan from making a reference on the issue in the House even though he had presented a written request to the Speaker with the relevant documents.

However, the legislator is determined and said that what he revealed on Tuesday was just Part 1 and he has more documents which he will reveal in time and nail the Chief Minister for good.