Thiruvananthapuram: The registration of a money-laundering case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter by the Enforcement Directorate triggered a sharp reaction from CPI (M) in Kerala on Wednesday as it accused the Central agency of doing “daily labour” for the ruling BJP at the Centre.

The opposition Congress, which has been alleging a secret pact between the saffron party and CPI(M) in the state, however, reacted cautiously and raised suspicions that it was an “election stunt” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, while BJP justified the move, saying corrupt people should have to face the consequences too.

The ED was one of the prominent agencies in the country, which the Supreme Court had said had lost its credibility, he said at a press conference here.

“It (the case) will be dealt with in an appropriate way,” he said, reacting to a query about the Enforcement Directorate filing a money- laundering case against Vijayan’s daughter Veena Vijayan, her IT company and others to probe alleged illegal payments made by a private mineral firm to her and the company.

Replying to a question as to whether the CM was being targeted through the Central probe, the Left veteran asked whom they could not target.

“You can target anyone politically. But the question is, who is targeting. It (ED) is doing the daily labour for the BJP,” Govindan said.

Dragging opposition leader V D Satheesan into the matter, he said the present probe was also to calm down the Congress leader, who had lamented why the Central agency was not initiating any investigation against the government and leaders of Kerala.

Further, he alleged that earlier Central agencies were used for political gains only, but now they are also used by the Union government and the BJP for amassing money from black money holders and offenders by threatening them.

“The party (the CPI(M)) and its people are not the ones who surrender to such tactics and cases,” Govindan added.

Meanwhile, Satheesan described the ED case against the CM’s daughter as just an “election stunt” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

He said the case was just to prove that there was no connection between the Left and the BJP.

Though an investigation has been going on in the matter for some time, even a notice has not been served to the CM or his daughter so far, he told reporters in Palakkad.

Similar investigations had been launched into the Life Mission and Karuvannur Cooperative bank scams in the state earlier, but they have reached nowhere, he said, adding the ED does not have the same enthusiasm it shows in other states when it comes to Kerala.

The LoP also alleged that all these investigations would be settled between the CPI(M) and the BJP through middlemen.

However, the BJP state leadership reacted by saying that those who indulged in corruption should have to face its consequences too.

Responding to questions from mediapersons about the ED case, Union Minister V Muraleedharan said that under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, corrupt people have to answer for their deeds.

He said the CPI(M)’s argument that their leaders were being hunted down by Modi would not stand anymore.

Govindan, who criticises Modi and BJP, should first clarify what service Veena Vijayan’s company rendered to the private mining company, he said.

Muraleedharan also criticised opposition leader Satheesan’s statement that the ED probe was an election stunt.

He alleged Satheesan was a person who had not raised the issue against the CM’s daughter in the Assembly, even if the media brought it out.

Official sources said on Wednesday the agency has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Veena and others and is expected to summon those involved.

The ED case has been booked after taking cognizance of a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), an investigative arm of the Union Corporate Affairs Ministry, they said.

The case stems from an Income Tax Department investigation that alleged that a private company called Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL), made an illegal payment of Rs 1.72 crore to Veena’s company– Exalogic Solutions– during 2018 to 2019, even though the IT firm had not provided any services to the company.

The Karnataka High Court had last month dismissed a plea filed by Exalogic Solutions against the probe initiated by the SFIO.