"State Govt also has rights,Not slave of Centre", Kerala CM lashes out at national probe agencies

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday went hammer and tongs at national agencies, which are presently probing a few cases in Kerala.

"The central investigation agencies started a probe in the gold smuggling case but they are acting in a prejudiced manner to corner only specific people", said Vijayan

"None had any doubt when the probe began, but of late doubts have started creeping in ever since the news of what's going to happen the next day comes out through the media. Selective leaks are taking place," he added

He accused that professionalism of probe agencies is being sabotaged and evidence collection takes place in a prejudiced manner.

"There was legitimate expectation when state govt asked for probe by central agencies. Now, it seems they're acting according to a script. Secretive nature of probe compromised for selective leakage of details to media,"he further added.

Numerous agencies which include the Customs, the NIA, the CBI and Income Tax are having a hectic time in Kerala since July 5 when the gold smuggling case surfaced, followed by the probe into the pet project of Vijayan: Life Mission (a project which builds homes for the homeless using sponsorship money).

By now his former secretary and senior IAS official M.Sivasankar has been arrested by the ED, so is Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPI-M state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

ED has wrote to Chief secretary Vishwas Mehta to produce all the files related to K-Phone ( providing internet to all at very low rates), E-Mobility ( a project to run electric buses) Smart City- Kochi and a mega IT project - Down Town.

"There are agencies like the CAG who are the competent authority and not other agencies. The game plan in doing this is to project the State government in poor light . In Life Mission, by now a senior official has been summoned by a probe agency a few times. This is being done purposely to create fear in the minds of officials. One can understand political parties coming under duress, but here officials are being put under stress. Let me make one thing very clear, we will not succumb to these arm twisting tactics," thundered Vijayan.

"The people will have faith only if agencies do their job in the way it should happen but here it's happening in a pre-scripted manner. At present all the accepted norms and limits have been crossed and we the state government also has rights just like the Centre. The state government is not a slave," added Vijayan.

He also said that the central investigation agencies are violating the federal system and are evaluating and scrutinizing state govt projects,instead of leading a probe.He emphasized that central agencies shouldn't be part of any political agenda.

He emphasized that the K-Phone project will go forward and it will become a reality, come what may.

"These things have never happened before and that's what we have opposed and we also have measures to take," added Vijayan.

(With inputs from agencies)