Modi govt went all out to misuse central probe agencies in Kerala: Yechury

Nileshwaram: Hitting out at the Narendra Modi  government, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday alleged that the Centre had gone all out to “misuse” the probe agencies in Left ruled Kerala, but had failed to destabilise the state government.

“Today they know that the Left and the LDF are the actual alternative and they are trying to misuse the agencies of the central government to try and destabilize the LDF government. They went all out and failed in the last five years.They will try again and you have to fail them”, he said addressing
a rally in Nileshwaram in the northernmost Kasaragod district in Kerala, in the run up to the April 6 assembly polls.

The three central agencies –Enforcement Directorate, Customs and National Investigation Agency,are probing the Gold smuggling case in which 30 kg of the yellow metal worth Rs 14.82 crore was seized from a diplomatic baggage at Thiruvananthapuram International airport in July 2020.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also alleged that central probeagencies, which should function as per established norms, were being misused “to destabilise state governments ruled by opposition parties.”

He had also written to the Prime Minister on the matter. The ED is also investigating alleged irregularities in the Life Mission project, which envisages construction of flats for the homeless at Wadakancherry in Thrissur.

Not sparing the Congress either, Yechury said the Opposition led UDF had worked in tandem with the BJP in attacking the state government.

“They are together on the same side on all issues while attacking theLDF government and against the Chief Minister,” he said.

Exuding confidence that the LDF government would be voted back to power, Yechury said 580 of the 600 promises the Left front had pledged when it rode to power had been fulfilled, which was a record which no one else in the country can claim. Whether it was the manner in which the government handled the pandemic initially, the floods or the remuneration for farmers, they are all in direct contrast to what is happening elsewhere, the Left veteran said.

Referring to the farmers’ agitation in Delhi,he said though they have been camping there for over four months, demanding repeal of the three contentious agri laws, the Centre has not begun talks with them in a serious manner. Yechury alleged that every single constitutional independent authority was being undermined by the Centre, which was ‘selling off’ publicsector institutions, including banks,insurance companies and airlines.

He noted that Parliament had on Monday passed a bill,” “virtually destroying the statehood of Delhi.”

In the Lok Sabha,when members demanded for a vote, it was not allowed and it was carried through by voice vote,he said.  “We have never seen Parliament so decimated, non functional’, he alleged.