The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
2 CMS in jail, why not Pinarayi: Rahul claims CPM-BJP nexus
AMID AN election campaign in which both the Congress and the CPI(M) in Kerala have been accusing each other of having an understanding with the BJP, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asked why the ruling party at the Centre was “not attacking” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing an election campaign in Kannur, Rahul said, “Two chief ministers are in jail. How come this is not happening to the Chief Minister of Kerala? I am attackingthebjp24x7,andthechief Minister of Kerala is attacking me 24x7. This is a bit puzzling.”
“He (Vijayan) says that he is ideologically fighting the BJP, but
I know that when you fight the BJP ideologically, they attack you with everything they have. However, there is no attack on the Chief Minister of Kerala. This is something people of Kerala should think about,” the Congress leader said.
The Enforcement Directorate had in 2020 initiated an investigation into a gold smuggling scandal in which the CM’S former principal secretary was arrested. The ED is also investigating an illegal payments scandal involving Vijayan’s daughter, Veena.
The Congress, which is in alliance with the CPI(M) at the national level but not in Kerala, has alleged that the Central agency was going easy on these cases, suggesting a nexus between the BJP and the Left party.
Rahul said that he fights the BJP and RSS every day, and that due to this, “My image has been distorted across the country, my Lok Sabha membership was taken away, and I was interrogated by ED for 12 hours a day…”
Kerala CM Vijayan has repeatedly criticised Rahul, accusing him of being silent on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act after the rules for it were notified last month.
In Palakkad on Wednesday, Vijayan said, “Why is the Congress, especially Rahul, silent on CAA? Congress must admit that they have the attitude of the Sanghparivarregardingthecaa.”
In response to Vijayan’s criticism, Congress’s V D Satheesan, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, accused the CM of trying to win Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s favour. “For the last 30 days, he (Vijayan) has been saying the same thing. Vijayan…is trying to win Modi’s favour. The people of Kerala can discern that the intention is to weaken the Congress, which is leading the fight against fascism,” he said.