Pinarayi Vijayan slams central agencies: Exceeding authority, probe being diverted to suit certain vested interests

Vijayan told the media that these agencies have exceeded their authority and their actions are a clear violation of the federal norms of the country.

With a few key projects of the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala under the scanner of the ED and other central agencies, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that central investigating agencies probing the gold smuggling case are “exceeding their jurisdiction to malign and destabilise an elected state government.’’

Vijayan told the media that these agencies have exceeded their authority and their actions are a clear violation of the federal norms of the country.

He said: “I don’t want to blame any agency or any official. But I want to make clear certain things when professional standards generally accepted by investigative agencies are being subverted and investigations are being diverted to suit certain vested interests.’’

After Vijayan’s former principal secretary M Sivasankar was arrested in the gold smuggling case, the ED has brought under its scanner Kerala-Fiber Optic Network (K-Fon) project and e-mobility project, earlier handled by Sivasankar as the state IT secretary for the last four years. Besides, financial transactions in a housing project of the government, implemented with the funding of Emirates Red Crescent, is also being probed by central agencies.

Vijayan said a situation has arisen where central probe agencies are responsible for analysing policies and programmes of the state government, which is in no way acceptable to those who believe in democratic values and respect the Constitution. Some of these agencies are encroaching into executive powers of the state government and the scrutiny of constitutional institutions, he said.

“It is a violation of their own jurisdiction and thereby an encroachment on the Constitution. This is undemocratic and unconstitutional and it cannot be allowed. The state government will make necessary interventions within the existing legal framework,” he said.

Vijayan said when the state urged the Centre for a concerted and comprehensive probe into the gold smuggling case, the state government had a legitimate expectation that the investigation would go through proper legal channels. “Some interventions on part of these agencies have cast doubt on whether our expectations were misplaced. It looks like the investigating agencies are following a predetermined path scripted by few people outside the agency. This is a serious situation where such actions would undermine their credibility.’’

Source: Read Full Article