Political Storm in Kerala: ED Raids Ignite Controversy

Enforcement Directorate's raids on Pinarayi Vijayan's premises spark a political storm in Kerala. Allegations of money laundering and misuse of central agencies stir tensions, with claims of conspiracies and heated protests. The operation focuses on the CMRL case, while political parties debate the motives behind the probe.

On Wednesday, Kerala's politics were set ablaze following the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raids on properties linked to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The searches targeted ties to the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) case, a high-profile Rs 182-crore money laundering investigation.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala disclosed that the state's police and Home Department were kept in the dark about the operation. As assemblies formed in Pinarayi and Calicut, police intervention maintained order, yet events took a contentious turn in Trivandrum, where conspiracy claims surfaced.

The raids unfolded across Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Ernakulam, and Bengaluru, and were met with allegations of political misuse. Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the raids as politically driven retaliation, igniting strong responses from political factions as the situation in Keralam becomes increasingly polarized.