Pinarayi Vijayan denies hawala allegations and rejects CPI assembly post demand

Pinarayi Vijayan, the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, has denied all allegations of involvement in hawala transactions regarding the CMRL-Exalogic probe. Vijayan asserted that neither he, his daughter Veena, nor his family have engaged in such activities, claiming that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is targeting them due to his daughter’s familial connection to him.

Vijayan criticized the ED’s methods, questioning why the agency issued press releases including his official designation and why they have behaved in a “strange” manner. He expressed willingness to cooperate with investigations, noting that previous CBI inquiries into his conduct resulted in his innocence being established.

In a separate political development, Vijayan rejected a demand from the CPI to hold the deputy leader post in the Kerala Assembly, stating that the position would be filled by a CPI(M) leader. Additionally, he accused the current government of failing to control the rising prices of essential commodities, such as rice and coconut oil, during the Onam season.