The United Democratic Front (UDF)-led Kerala opposition cried foul over the ongoing raids against former state minister and Congress leader K Babu on Tuesday. They termed the raids as “vindictive”.

UDF convenor PP Thankachen accused the government of using the Vigilance Bureau as a tool to settle political scores. 

"We have no issues in tackling corruption but what has happened today is that the government is using the Vigilance Bureau as a tool to settle political scores. This will be dealt with both legally and politically by the UDF," said Thankachen.

Since Saturday, the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has raided the residences of K Babu and of his two daughters and two close aides as part of a probe into his allegedly disproportionate assets.

After a meeting of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), PP Thankachen said there has been a blatant violation of all rules and procedures in undertaking the raids.

Thankachen said there was no merit to claims that the Vigilance Bureau raids were properly conducted, and there is enough evidence to substantiate their raids.

With reports coming in that a few more former ministers were on the radar of the Vigilance Bureau, now headed by Jacob Thomas, Thankachen said ministers in the previous Oommen Chandy-led UDF government had nothing to fear and none of them feared being raided.

Earlier, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and K Babu himself had also maintained that the raids were politically motivated.