Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat on Thursday, 28 May sharply rebutted the Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s characterisation of protests outside former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's premises as a 'planned assault', insisting the demonstrations were a spontaneous public outpouring against what she called a politically motivated crackdown. Karat simultaneously trained her fire on the Congress, accusing the party of acting in collusion with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership at the Centre to undermine the CPI-M.

CPI-M's Case Against the ED

Karat argued that the very geography of the protests disproved the ED's narrative. 'If it had been planned, then ED teams across Kerala would have faced similar incidents. The fact that this did not happen clearly shows that it was a spontaneous expression of protest by young people,' she said. She described the raids on Vijayan's residence and offices as 'blatantly politically motivated', aimed at bullying, intimidating, and humiliating a leader of his stature in the Opposition. She also claimed that the cases filed against his daughter were fabricated.

Protests in Delhi, Detentions by Police

A day before Karat's statement, on Wednesday, CPI-M cadre and leaders — including Karat herself — took to the streets in New Delhi to demonstrate against what they termed an illegal crackdown. Delhi Police subsequently detained the protesters. The party maintained that the ED was being misused by the ruling dispensation to unfairly target the Left leadership in Kerala.

The Congress Factor

The ED searches also ignited a sharp war of words between the CPI-M and the Congress. Vijayan had remarked after the raids that 'Rahul Gandhi would now be happy' — a pointed reference to the Congress leader's repeated public questions over why the ED had not acted against him in the CMRL-Exalogic financial transactions case. Karat responded by accusing Congress leaders of acting 'in collusion' with the BJP's central leadership. 'They are acting in collusion to undermine and demean the leadership of the CPI-M. This will not succeed,' she said.

Background and Context

The ED raids on Vijayan's premises are linked to the CMRL-Exalogic financial transactions case, a matter that has drawn scrutiny for some time. Vijayan, a veteran CPI-M leader and former Kerala Chief Minister, has been a central figure in the state's Left politics for decades. Karat noted that he is 'a popular, highly respected and loved leader', and argued that any motivated attempt to target him would naturally provoke public anger. This comes amid a broader pattern of central agencies conducting high-profile searches at the premises of Opposition leaders across multiple states — a practice that critics argue has intensified in recent years.

What Happens Next

The CPI-M has signalled it will not back down, with Karat asserting the party has 'faced challenges before' and will not bow to what she called 'cheap tactics'. The political fallout — both between the Left and the Centre, and between the CPI-M and the Congress in Kerala — is likely to deepen as the ED's investigation proceeds.