NEW DELHI: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said he is the real target of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office’s (SFIO) action against his daughter T Veena, who is embroiled in an “illegal payment” scandal.
Also Read: CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby defends Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter in ‘illegal payment’ case
“I know you want my blood, but you will not get it easily. You can keep hoping for my resignation,” Vijayan said at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, according to news agency PTI.
Further stating that neither he nor his party is taking SFIO’s action “seriously,” the CPI(M) stalwart said the alleged scandal does not affect him in any way.
“The media is ignoring that income tax and GST was paid on the amounts received by my daughter’s IT firm from the private mining company CMRL. The SFIO case is in the court and it will be dealt with legally,” he stated.
The statement from Vijayan, who is set to run for a third consecutive term as chief minister when Kerala holds assembly polls next year, comes amidst reports the Enforcement Directorate is preparing to register a case against Veena.
She has been accused by the SFIO, which functions under the ministry of corporate affairs, of fraudulent transactions amounting to Rs 2.7 crore in the case in the form of alleged monthly payments to her from Kochi-based Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL).
The agency has said its probe reveals Veena’s IT company Exalogic Solutions Pvt Ltd did not provide any legitimate service to CMRL in return.
