CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby and senior party leader Brinda Karat expressed disapproval of the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on party leaders’ residences and offices, including former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala. Baby highlighted the ED’s actions as politically motivated, citing raids conducted at multiple locations.
Responding to queries about alleged CPI-M activists’ confrontation with the ED team, Baby emphasized the need to investigate the incidents. He stressed that the party does not endorse violent responses and called for a thorough examination of the events. Karat condemned the ED’s raids on Vijayan’s premises, accusing the agency of attempting to intimidate and disgrace the senior opposition figure.
Karat criticized the ED for misrepresenting public outrage as a premeditated attack by Vijayan’s supporters. She noted that the raids sparked spontaneous protests in Kerala and other regions, drawing condemnation from various political leaders. Karat dismissed claims of a planned assault, attributing the demonstrations to genuine public discontent and respect for Vijayan.
The CPI-M leaders, including Baby and Brinda Karat, staged protests in New Delhi against what they deemed an unjust crackdown by the ED. They asserted that the raids were politically motivated and aimed at undermining the Left leadership in Kerala. The searches at Vijayan’s residence also fueled tensions between the CPI-M and the Congress, with Vijayan making remarks alluding to political motivations behind the ED’s actions.
