Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Apr 8 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said freezing of the CPI(M) bank account in Thrissur by Central agencies would not affect the party’s election-related work.
The Central agencies’ action was a ploy to help the BJP candidate win from Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, he charged.
Addressing the media at Adoor near here as part of the campaign in the run-up to the general elections, Vijayan said the Central agencies might believe CPI(M) functions through the bank accounts alone.
“While it is true that we have funds in the account, freezing it will not affect our election work. The general public donates money for the party’s work. The ED cannot halt the functions of a party that operates in this manner,” Vijayan said, reacting to a query on the Income Tax Department’s recent decision to freeze the bank account in the name of the CPI(M)’s Thrissur District Committee.
He said Central agencies, including Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department, seem to think they can disrupt the functioning of the party to help the BJP candidate and actor-politician Suresh Gopi win the Thrissur seat.
“They believe by freezing the bank account, our functioning will be stopped. However, they are mistaken. Suresh Gopi will only secure third place in the elections and Sunil Kumar will win with a thumping majority. Such tactics will not help BJP or their agencies win the Thrissur seat,” Vijayan added.
While the BJP has fielded actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi from Thrissur in the upcoming Lok Sabha Polls, senior CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar and Congress’ K Muraleedharan are his main rivals.
The CPI(M) had earlier said action by Central agencies against opposition parties were part of the fascist agenda being implemented by the BJP-led Union government.
The CPI(M) is a party that submits details of its income and expenditure to the Income Tax Department and the Election Commission every year without fail, and the bank account details of Thrissur District Committee were also submitted, it had said.
Single phase Lok Sabha elections in Kerala will be held on April 26 and the results will be out on June 4. PTI RRT RRT SS
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