Delhi: Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan declined to respond to media questions regarding the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at the residence of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in connection with a money laundering case linked to the CMRL-Exalogic financial transactions.

Journalists repeatedly sought his reaction to the ED raids, which were carried out at around ten locations across Kerala and Karnataka on Wednesday as part of an evidence-gathering operation. However, Satheesan refused to comment.

When approached by reporters at the airport before returning to Kerala after his visit to Delhi, he again declined to respond. Despite appearing before the media five times during the day, he consistently avoided questions related to the raids.

ALSO READ | What is the Exalogic-CMRL case all about? Timeline of the alleged payments row

Meanwhile, CPM leaders alleged that the ED action at Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence was part of a conspiracy orchestrated by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan from Delhi. DYFI state secretary V.K. Sinoj claimed that the political motive behind the actions of national leaders, including Rahul Gandhi — who had previously questioned publicly why Pinarayi Vijayan had not been arrested — was evident in the raids. He further alleged that there was a broader conspiracy aimed at weakening the Communist Party in Kerala and across India.

ALSO READ | ED raids: High tension in TVM; CPM leader MA Baby detained; central agency officials injured