The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the summons issued to its senior functionaries by a PMLA court in connection with the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam. In a statement released on Saturday, the CPM state secretariat accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating a political witch-hunt against the party.
Summons Issued to Top CPM Leaders
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act court has summoned CPM central committee member and Member of Parliament K. Radhakrishnan, state committee member and Member of Legislative Assembly A. C. Moideen, and state committee member M. M. Varghese, among others, to appear on July 4. The CPM secretariat expressed outrage, stating that dragging the party and former district secretaries into the case over the bank's irregularities is unprecedented and politically motivated.
CPM's Response to Allegations
The party asserted that the summons are part of a calculated plan by the BJP, acting through its agencies, to defame popular leaders and weaken the party. The secretariat declared, "CPM will not surrender to this." It further claimed that the public is well aware of the integrity of leaders like Radhakrishnan, Moideen, and Varghese. The statement emphasized that the Enforcement Directorate's allegations of corruption, looting, or money laundering would not be believed by the people of Kerala.
According to the CPM, these functionaries, while serving as district secretaries, worked diligently to expose those behind the scam and save the bank. They collaborated with the government to fight corruption, restore the bank's functioning, and ensure the return of depositors' money. The statement highlighted that the bank was able to operate smoothly due to their efforts.
Allegations of Political Motives
The CPM secretariat pointed out that the facts and accused in the Karuvannur Bank case came to light through investigations by the state police and cooperation department. While the crime branch probe was still ongoing, the ED intervened, driven by political interests. The party accused the central BJP and agencies like ED of attempting to destroy the CPM by targeting its functionaries.
Legal and Political Confrontation
The state secretariat warned that the BJP may gain by intimidating other parties and dragging them to court, but such tactics will not work with the CPM. The party called for recognition of the ED's vindictive moves and vowed to confront the case both legally and politically. "The notion that CPM can be destroyed by hunting its functionaries is merely the wishful thinking of central BJP and agencies like ED," the statement concluded.
