No prior information on ED raids, says Chennithala

Thiruvananthapuram: Home minister Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday said the Kerala Police and the state home department had no prior information about the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids conducted across the state in connection with the CMRL-Exalogic case. Speaking to the media, he said ED had not sought any assistance from the Kerala Police and had carried out the operation with the support of central forces. Chennithala added that he had confirmed this with both the state police chief and the home Secretary.

The home minister rejected allegations of any planned connection between chief minister V D Satheesan’s recent visit to New Delhi and the ED raids. He said meeting the Prime Minister after assuming office was an administrative necessity, a practice followed by chief ministers on several occasions in the past. “It is wrong to mix up such administrative meetings with ED raids. The public understands the political motives behind such allegations,” he said.

Reacting sharply to CPM’s charge that Congress and BJP were working together to target anti-BJP leaders, Chennithala dismissed it as an ‘excessive political campaign’ and said people clearly understood the difference between the three parties. He turned the allegation back on CPM, saying the party should instead explain the nature of its own past relationship with BJP. “The biggest relationship was between CPM and BJP. They should explain to the people how that relationship collapsed,” he said.

Chennithala also rejected allegations of any lapse on the part of the Kerala Police in maintaining law and order during the raids and said strict action would be taken against anyone found involved in attacking ED officials.

Meanwhile, governor Rajendra Arlekar is learnt to have sought a report from the state police chief on the law and order situation that erupted during the raids, including the alleged attacks on ED officials. Sources said the governor had spoken directly to the state police chief and sought details about the incidents reported during the operation.