Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday, 23 September mounted a sweeping defence of his government's actions on multiple fronts — the CMRL-Exalogic corruption inquiry, his personal use of a helicopter and a chartered aircraft, ministers travelling abroad on diaspora-funded trips, and the use of privately owned vehicles — asserting that the UDF government's overriding goal was to eliminate wasteful spending and seal leakages from Kerala's state exchequer.

CMRL-Exalogic Probe: Government Cites Legal Duty

Responding to questions at a post-Cabinet briefing in Thiruvananthapuram, Satheesan pushed back against suggestions that the government had acted with undue haste in ordering a preliminary inquiry into the CMRL-Exalogic case, which involves former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, and son-in-law P.A. Mohammed Riyas.

'We gave the ED report to the State Police Chief and sought legal opinions. After receiving the legal opinion, the police had a duty to proceed in accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines,' the CM said. He added that a preliminary inquiry was a mandatory first step before deciding whether to register an FIR, and that the government had only discharged its legal responsibility. 'Law will take its own course. That is all we have done,' he said. The Crime Branch is expected to conduct the preliminary inquiry following the Enforcement Directorate report and subsequent legal advice.

On the Helicopter and Chartered Flight

On the controversy over his use of a helicopter, Satheesan clarified that the aircraft was part of a contract entered into by the previous LDF government at a monthly cost of ₹80 lakh. 'I used it according to the agreement,' he said, noting that the three-year contract has since expired and his government chose not to renew it.

Defending his decision to board a chartered aircraft to visit rain-battered Malappuram — where six people had died in a landslip — Satheesan said a friend had offered the plane. 'I have used it, and I will use it again,' he said, pointing out that chief ministers across India routinely use private aircraft for official travel. He also noted that his predecessors, former Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan and Oommen Chandy, had similarly used private aircraft, and argued that those who own such assets in Kerala are unlikely to seek favours in return.

Ministers' Foreign Travel and Private Vehicles

On the question of ministers travelling abroad, Satheesan said he had actively encouraged them to study global developments that could benefit Kerala. He noted that there are roughly 1,000 Keralite organisations in the UAE alone, and that diaspora groups had invited ministers and arranged their travel after a UDF government returned to power after a decade. The CM said he himself had made multiple visits to the Middle East as Leader of Opposition without drawing on state funds.

Regarding Local Self-Government Minister K.M. Shaji using a friend's Range Rover, Satheesan explained that Shaji's official vehicle was approximately a decade old and broke down frequently, necessitating the use of an alternative.

Austerity Claims and a Tense Media Briefing

Satheesan repeatedly invoked fiscal prudence, noting that his ministers continue to use ageing official vehicles rather than procuring replacements. 'I am perhaps the only Chief Minister who travels alone to Delhi,' he said, adding that he had declined supplementary police security in the capital because Kerala Police personnel are already posted there. 'Our aim is to prevent wasteful expenditure and plug leakages from the state exchequer,' he said.

The briefing ended on a tense note after a volley of simultaneous questions from reporters. Addressing the cameras directly, Satheesan said, 'I am speaking to the people that I am unable to hear any question as 12 journalists are asking their questions at the same time. Please maintain restraint at least when I reply. Have you ever behaved like this in front of Pinarayi Vijayan?' He then ended the briefing and walked away. The government now faces continued scrutiny as the CMRL-Exalogic preliminary inquiry gets under way.