Cong MLA challenges CPI-M over dealings of Vijayan's daughter's firm

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21 (IANS) Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnaden on Monday once again targeted Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter over the transactions and tax related matters of her company, while also issuing a challenge to the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). 

His challenge came on a day when CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechuri ducked questions about the controversy surrounding Veena Vijayan's IT firm-related issue. 

Kuzhalnaden was responding to central committee member and top CPI-M leader A.K. Balan -- who asked if  papers connected to the IT firm disproving the allegations leveled by Kuzhalnaden are presented, "will the Congress leader quit public life?" 

Kuzhalnaden said "since he has just started his political career, exiting won't happen". 

"Instead, I will apologise to the people of Kerala and also personally to Veena Vijayan if I am provided with all the papers that disprove what I have raised. Also, if the papers are not presented, will Balan agree that the money received by the IT firm was illegal gratification?" questioned Kuzhalnaden. 

Since Sunday, there have been speculations that on Monday, the CPI-M may issue statements to dismiss Kuzhalnaden's allegations, and would term them as baseless. 

On Saturday, Kuzhalnaden had said "what is happening in the state is an organised loot by one family". 

Veena Vijayan found herself in trouble when a news report mentioned that CMRL (based in Kochi) had paid her and Exalogic (firm owned by Veena) a sum of Rs 1.72 crore during 2017-2020 for IT-based services rendered to the Kochi firm. 

The report claimed that the Income Tax Appellate Board, while examining the tax returns of CMRL, stumbled upon payments made to Veena and her IT firm. 

It was also found based on information provided by a few CMRL company officials that no service was rendered by her firm to the company. 

Following the media report, Kuzhalnaden, a lawyer by profession, pointed out that her IT company has paid only Rs 6 lakh as taxes, while she had to pay Rs 30 lakh, as her firm had collected Rs 1.72 crore as service charges from CMRL. 

Meanwhile, former state unit BJP president P.K. Krishnadas said "all that’s being heard in the public domain has been settled through an understanding that has taken place between Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan".