Congress-led UDF has taken up the job of 'hangman' of KIIFB: Kerala CM

Sharpening his attack against the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in poll-bound Kerala, incumbent Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday alleged that the central agencies were carrying out "destructive activities" in the southern state and the opposition [Congress-led] United Democratic Front (UDF) was 'playing musical instruments' to it.

Hitting out at the central agencies' probe against certain state government projects, the Marxist leader alleged that the Sangh Parivar was using its power at the Centre to "destroy" institutions like the KIIFB, which undertook unprecedented infrastructure development activities in the state in the last five years.

Two days after the IT department carried out inspection at the KIIFB headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, CM Pinarayi alleged that the UDF has taken up the job of "hangman" of KIIFB by placing noose around its neck.

Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Ramesh Chennithala has become a "strong advocate" of the BJP government at the Centre, Pinarayi said. Accusing the opposition UDF of supporting the union government agencies' actions targeting KIIFB, he said, "we never thought that they would take up the job of the hangman".

"The central agencies are carrying out destructive activities in the state after entering through the doors kept open by the Congress-led UDF. They want to destroy KIIFB, and sabotage the LIFE Mission projects of the state government," the CM said at a press conference in Kochi.

LIFE Mission is a state housing project envisaging total housing for the homeless.

The IT sleuths who reached KIIFB headquarters on Thursday had sought details on the contractors, projects implemented by it in the state in the last five years, amount handed over to contractors and tax details, among others.

Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday attacked the union government over Income Tax inspection at the KIIFB, alleging that the BJP-led government was trying to destroy federalism.

The veteran Communist leader, who is in Ernakulam district for election campaigning, alleged that Congress leader Chennithala was trying to prevent distribution of special provision kits for Vishu, the Malayalam New Year which falls on April 14.

Chennithala had urged the Election Commission to withhold the distribution of the Vishu special food materials till the date of polling to the state Assembly as it was a violation of the code of conduct and an attempt to influence voters.

The Chief Minister claimed that the Leader of Opposition has given a letter to the Election Commission seeking to stop the distribution of food materials and social security pension citing poll code violation. He urged the Congress leader to withdraw the demand and tender an apology to the people of the state. He alleged that the Leader of Opposition humiliated the people of the state by portraying them as those who can be influenced by rice and groceries.

The free food kit distribution to 88 lakh families across Kerala started as a welfare measure to aid people when the state went into a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year.