Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode | CPI(M) leader P A Mohamed Riyas on Wednesday said that he and the party will politically and legally deal with the ED searches a day ago at homes or businesses of people close to him.
A similar view was also expressed by CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan, who claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was now trying to target Riyas, husband of former CM Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena T.
The ED had on Tuesday conducted fresh searches at multiple locations in Keralam as part of its money-laundering investigation linked to the CMRL-Exalogic Solutions case in which Veena was questioned.
The agency had searched eight locations in Kozhikode as part of the action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Responding to reporters' queries in Kozhikode about the searches, Riyas said that nothing illegal was found by the agency, but "false reports were circulated to create a smokescreen and cast a shadow of doubt" on Veena, himself and the party.
He also termed as false the reports that Veena has started a new firm, saying that its name was mentioned in his assembly election nomination papers and the entity was not functioning in secret.
The former minister also said that his wife was a highly educated and independent woman and she cannot be prevented from running a business.
"We will deal with the matter, and the false reports being spread regarding it, both politically and legally," he said.
Riyas said that searches were carried out at locations connected with his close family friends, known to him since college days or earlier, who were properly and legally doing various kinds of businesses.
"They were questioned for a whole day as part of the ED action. Such moves will not end the connections and relations I have with them. I have connections and relations with people from all sections of society, and those will continue unaffected by such moves," he contended.
Riyas also said that such actions do not scare him and he will not run away "like those who won under the Congress symbol and then joined the BJP out of fear of the ED".
"I have been opposing the BJP and its politics and will continue to do so till I die. Let any kind of investigation be carried out by them against us. We have nothing to fear. We have not done anything wrong. We will face it both legally and politically," he asserted.
Govindan also took a similar stand and said that the ED and some sections of the media were trying to "create a smokescreen to tarnish the party image" by raiding people close to Riyas.
He told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that baseless things were being shown as the truth and it would be dealt with politically and legally.
He also accused the state government of being in league with the Centre on the matter.
The latest ED action was a follow-up of the raids that were conducted against Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) in May.
It is alleged by the ED that CMRL made fraudulent payments worth Rs 2.78 crore to Veena's now-defunct company Exalogic Solutions under the guise of 'IT consultancy services'.
The agency had raided Veena, who was living with Vijayan at a rented accommodation in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, in June and subsequently questioned her.