KC Venugopal calls CBI probe against Satheesan a ‘political gimmick’ by CPM | VIDEO

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leaders on Sunday slammed the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (VACB) recommendation for a CBI probe against Kerala Assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) V D Satheesan over the ‘Punarjani’ housing project, calling it a “political gimmick” by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) ahead of the assembly elections.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal told ANI, "It is a political gimmick given the elections. No one can save the CPM government in the upcoming elections. They are also sure about that."

The VACB had suggested a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations that Satheesan received illegal foreign funds for the ‘Punarjani’ project, launched to rehabilitate families who lost their homes in the 2018 floods in Satheesan’s North Paravur constituency. The recommendation also cited alleged foreign trips by Satheesan taken without the Assembly Speaker’s permission.

Kerala Congress President Sunny Joseph described the move as futile, “That's only a futile attempt by the government. Already, the state vigilance is conducting an investigation, and they have found nothing against the opposition leader. Further enquiries are not at all needed. It's a political game only. We will face it both politically and legally.”

Congress response on linking Sonia Gandhi to the Sabarimala gold theft

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Ramesh Chennithala criticised Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s remarks linking Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to the Sabarimala gold theft case, calling them “absurd.” Chennithala demanded a CBI probe into the case, highlighting that CPM leaders implicated in the theft are already in jail, "The Kerala Chief Minister's statement on the gold theft case in Sabarimala is absurd. The three leaders of CPM are in jail. How can he say that this is a politically motivated thing?... The CPM party has not taken any action for the people who are in prison.”

The controversy follows CPM leaders raising questions about Sonia Gandhi’s meeting with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, prompting calls for a thorough investigation.