Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Credit: PTI File Photo
A Congress MLA in Kerala has submitted a petition to the state's Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, requesting an investigation into Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for allegedly receiving funds from a controversial mining firm.
Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan submitted the petition, citing a recent report from the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board.
This move by the Congress MLA could be seen as a tit-for-tat action, as the state government had recently ordered a vigilance probe against him, alleging violations in a resort he acquired in Idukki district.
The Income Tax report indicated that documents found with officials of the mining firm contained abbreviations of names of several politicians who had received funds from the mining firm. The abbreviation 'PV' mentioned in the documents was assumed to refer to Pinarayi Vijayan.
The Income Tax Interim Settlement Board report, related to the Kochi-based mining firm Cochin Mineral and Rutiles Limited, also mentioned that the Chief Minister's daughter, who was operating an IT firm in Bengaluru, had received approximately Rs. 1.72 crore from the firm without providing any services. However, Vijayan maintained that the payments were made as part of legitimate business contracts.
Vijayan has denied the allegations, characterizing the report as politically motivated by the central government agency.
However, Kuzhalnadan informed reporters that he possesses sufficient evidence to substantiate that the 'PV' mentioned in the files recovered from the mining firm's officials refers to Pinarayi Vijayan. He submitted this evidence along with the petition and called for the registration of a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against the Chief Minister, with a request for a thorough investigation.
Kuzhalnadan has consistently raised allegations against Vijayan and his daughter in the assembly, leading to heated exchanges between them.