Pinarayi Vijayan takes offence at Opposition targeting his daughter

For second consecutive day, Kerala Assembly session witnessed heated arguments over Pinarayi Vijayan’s alleged involvement in the UAE consulate smuggling case

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Tuesday, slammed the Congress for their “baseless” allegations against his daughter. He tore into the party in opposition during his reply to the notice of adjournment motion in the state assembly.

Attacking the chief minister, Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan alleged that a highly placed official at a consultancy, involved in several state government projects, was also the mentor in a firm run by Vijayan's daughter. The Congress MLA also said that UAE consulate smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh was appointed to a government agency through the same consultancy.

Taking exception to the comment, Pinarayi asked if Congress has developed the culture of insulting family members of political opponents. The allegations against his daughter were baseless, he asserted.

In his reply, Pinarayi also termed as “foolishness” the allegations that he had bribed the Sharjah ruler. The Opposition of Congress-led United Democratic Front demanded a CBI probe into the allegations against the Chief Minister.

The house, on Tuesday as well, witnessed heated arguments between the MLAs of UDF and the ruling Left Democratic Front for nearly four hours.

According to the Chief Minister, the allegations against him, such as that of currency smuggling, were not new, and had already been established as baseless. He also said that the Congress was unleashing agitations against him as part of Sangh Parivar agenda.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan, however, said the Chief Minister could not give a convincing reply to the allegations against him and demanded a CBI probe into the allegations.

Congress MLA Shafi Parambil, who gave the notice for the adjournment motion, asked why the Chief Minister hadn’t yet initiated legal action if the allegations were baseless.