Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala president K. Surendran has accused the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) of utilising public funds to protect Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Surendran, who is leading the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) ‘Kerala Padayatra’ that kickstarted in Kasaragod on January 27 and reached Kannur district on January 29 (Monday), questioned the expenditure of ₹25 lakh by the KSIDC to hire a lawyer for the case involving Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic Solutions, a company owned by Mr. Vijayan’s daughter T. Veena.
Mr. Surendran alleged corruption in the CMRL-Exalogic contract, highlighting CMRL’s stake in the KSIDC.
Alleging that the Kerala government was misusing public funds, Mr. Surendran said the government which “does not provide welfare pension to the poor” was using the money from the exchequer for Mr. Vijayan’s daughter.
Mr. Surendran highlighted the Communist Party of India Marxist’s [CPI(M)] decision taken during the Palakkad plenum to subject not only CPI(M) leaders but also their relatives to audits. He questioned why then Mr. Vijayan seemed exempt from this scrutiny. He also questioned the “preferential treatment” received by Mr. Vijayan compared to other leaders within the Communist party.
He also accused CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan of being “subservient” to Mr. Vijayan.
Mr. Surendran expressed concerns about government officials acting in servitude to Mr. Vijayan.
Referring to the Governor’s security situation, Mr. Surendran criticised Mr. Govindan’s statement that protests against the Governor will continue even if the CRPF is deployed for security cover.
He accused the CPI(M) of “attacking” the Governor to divert attention from corruption and governance stagnation in Kerala.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Surendran visited the Muthappan temple at Parassinikadavu. He later met socio-cultural and religious leaders in Kannur.
The Kannur leg of Padayatra was set to be formally inaugurated by actor and BJP leader Suresh Gopi later in the day.
