Kerala CM Under Fire Over Rs 1.72 Cr Payment to Daughter by Mining Firm; Cong, BJP Seek Probe – News18

An alleged payment received by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena Vijayan from a mining company has snowballed into a controversy with Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding the CM’s explanation.

As per the news report in a Malayala Manorama, the mining company CMRL allegedly had paid Veena Vijayan and her IT firm Exalogica a sum of Rs 1.72 crore during 2017-2020 for IT services rendered.

The report said the Income Tax Appellate Board noticed the payment to Veena and her IT firm while it was examining the tax returns of CMRL. It was also found out based on information provided by a few CMRL company officials that there was no services rendered by her firm to the company.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the situation in Kerala these days is that it’s State Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas who often comes out with statements and Veena is his wife so we all wish to hear from not just Vijayan alone but from him as well on this matter.

“With Vijayan holding the Home and Vigilance portfolio, the need of the hour is a probe by an external agency. He often says when one has nothing to hide, one needn’t have any fear and if that’s the case, we all are waiting to hear from him about the announcement of a probe,” said Muraleedharan.

Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnaden said this cannot be dismissed as an allegation as the tax authorities have said this based on documents that has now come out. He demanded that Vijayan should come clean on why was this money received by Veena.

State Congress President and Lok Sabha member K. Sudhakaran said Vijayan should announce a judicial probe.

“When an allegation surfaced of Rs 1 million against me in a flash, a probe was announced and when this runs into crores, in all fairness a judicial probe into this has to be announced by Vijayan,” said Sudhakaran.

(With IANS inputs)