Days after the Enforcement Directorate issued summons to top officials of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday claimed the agency made attempts to threaten the state government officials. The CM also said that legal action will be initiated against the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Continuing his attack on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Vijayan accused her of trying to "destroy" the KIIFB by raising "baseless allegations" against it and "misusing" the ED under her ministry for political purposes.
The ED, probing the state-owned agency's external borrowings through 'Masala Bonds', made attempts to threaten state government officials after summoning them into their office, he alleged. Masala bonds are specialised debt instruments issued outside India but denominated in Indian Rupees, rather than the local currency.
"Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is also a senior leader of the BJP, is raising baseless allegations against KIIFB which ushers in unprecedented development in the state", Vijayan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram and referred to her allegations against KIIFB at a recent poll rally in Tripunithura.
Vijayan alleged that as the people dismissed MInister's charges, "she began her effort to destroy it misusing the Enforcement Directorate under her ministry."
"Some investigators of the central agency were now showing undue hastiness to implement their political bosses' orders," he claimed.
The Chief Minister claimed that the ED had no interest in collecting information from the KIIFB officials for the probe.
"There were even instances in which women officials of the body corporate, summoned by them, were subjected to improper behaviour, crossing all limits," Vijayan alleged.
When asked if the government would take legal course against the ED, the Chief Minister said if anyone takes unlawful steps, it would be resisted legally.
"It was not right to take a stand that central officials were above all others. They have the responsibility to behave properly to the state officials, who are being summoned by them," he said.
There was a complaint that ED officials had behaved in an improper manner to the KIIFB personnel, he said.
"Naturally, it would invite legal action. Everyone has the right to lodge a complaint.Naturally, the authorities concerned would take action in this regard. The central agencies cannot act according to their whims and fancies."
Pinarayi Vijayan had written to the Election Commission on Wednesday against the ED probe during the time of elections.