New Delhi: Supporters of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan allegedly attacked officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during raids conducted on Wednesday in connection with a money laundering investigation.
A 12-member ED team had reached Vijayan’s rented residence at Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram around 7 am to carry out searches as part of the CMRL-linked probe. Raids were simultaneously conducted at 10 locations across Kerala. Vijayan and his family were reportedly present inside the house during the operation.
As news of the raids spread, supporters of Vijayan gathered outside the residence. Around 2 pm, when the ED team came out after completing the searches, protesters allegedly surrounded the officials. According to reports, stones and bottles were thrown at ED vehicles, car windows were smashed and officials were also attacked with sticks.
The ED raids were conducted at multiple locations, including:
Vijayan’s rented residence at Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram, where his daughter Veena Vijayan also resides.
Vijayan’s ancestral home in Kannur.
The residence of Vijayan’s son-in-law and CPI(M) MLA PA Mohammed Riyas in Kozhikode.
The corporate office of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and the residence of its managing director Shashidharan Kartha in Aluva.
Reacting to the ED action, Pinarayi Vijayan said the agency had been trying to search his house for a long time. Taking a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he remarked that the raids would likely satisfy those who had repeatedly questioned why his residence had not been searched earlier.
Vijayan further alleged that the BJP-led Central government has consistently used central agencies to target opposition leaders across the country. He also criticised the Congress, claiming that it supports ED intervention against parties other than its own.
He asserted that such actions would not weaken his party or its leadership.
