Social activists ask Pinarayi Vijayan to step down as CM and face probe

A group of social activists in Kerala has said that a court monitored inquiry should be ordered into the Income Tax department's incriminating report against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan adding that Vijayan should step down from the Chief Minister post until the probe is over.

A joint statement by around 20 social activists said that there were lapses on the part of Vijayan in maintaining the alertness that a person holding a Constitutional position should have. They believed that this could be the first time that a Chief Minister is facing such an allegation on the basis of a body of judicial nature (Income Tax Interim Settlement Board) and an investigation under court monitoring was essential.

The statement also said that the allegation that leaders of the opposition Congress took donations from the mining firm should be probed as well.

Known social activists U K Kumaran, M N Karassery and Appukkuttan Vallikunnu are among those who issued the statement.

A recent report of the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board stated that Vijayan's daughter Veena T and her Bengaluru-based IT firm Exalogic Solutions received Rs 1.72 crore from Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Limited during the years 2016-20 without rendering any services.

The report also mentioned that many prominent politicians in Kerala took donations from the controversial mining firm.