Thiruvananthapuram: Reacting to media reports that his son Vivek has received an ED summons, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he and his children have never acted in a way to defame anyone. He asserted that “no one has ever received an ED summons — neither my son nor I”. He expressed pride in his children, calling his son someone who follows the pattern “work, then home”.

During a press conference, he alleged attempts to portray a distorted image: “If agencies are brought in for political reasons to present a different picture, do they think the public will accept it? And do they presume that if you influence some institutions to amplify such narratives, everything can be subverted? That is not how it works.”

He said, “No one can tarnish my name; my politics is transparent. I face such charges with a smile.” He said that his pride lies in the fact that his family stood fully by him, and that his children accepted that stance.

He further challenged others, “How many times have you seen my son? He is the son of Kerala’s Chief Minister. You see the children of Chief Ministers walking in corridors of power. Have you ever seen my son anywhere? Have you seen him at any place?”

Referring to a controversy about his residence, he said, “I doubt whether he even knows how many rooms there are in Cliff House. That’s my son’s individuality. Any father will take pride in his son. My pride has a special quality. None of my children have ever acted in a way that gave me bad name.”

He alleged that some have tried to bring up his daughter, when it didn’t work they are now tainting an unknown person, saying, “He is Pinarayi Vijayan’s son”, to rope him into controversy. “Do you think that will become a scandal? Will it affect me? Will it affect my son?” he sought to know.

He said his son works a modest job and follows the public life pattern, “work, then home”. He insisted that his son has never been involved in any wrongdoing. “No one has ever passed a bad word about me. I am proud of that. Don’t misread that I can be made to suffer by highlighting these issues.”

On the question of the ED summons, he said: “Where was the summons served? Whose hands was it in? Who sent it? What do I need to respond? You send a paper, and I am supposed to say ‘give it’? They are trying to paint a false picture, to present me differently, to defame me in public. If you try to depict me in such a way, will it become shameful?”

He reiterated, “I assure that there is no corruption in my life. Even if a summons has come, we have not seen it. None of us have seen an ED summons. My son also has not said he got one. Maybe M A Baby responded to news coverage. I will not react before I understand facts. Someone said a big bomb was about to drop. But this turned into a damp squib.”
On Sunday, CPM general secretary M A Baby confirmed in Chennai that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has withdrawn the notice issued to the Chief Minister’s son, Vivek Kiran. Baby had stated that it was a fabricated notice and, upon realising it was baseless, the ED had to withdraw it themselves.