Palakkad: The political controversy over a midnight police raid on suspicion of black money in a hotel amid Palakkad by-elections deepened on Thursday with Kerala’s ruling Marxist Communist Party (CPI-M) demanding a probe into the matter.
CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindhan demanded an investigation after CCTV footage of the incident surfaced, in which a Congress worker is seen entering the hotel with a trolley bag. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has accused the CPI(M) of releasing the footage to the media.
“CPI(M) will oppose the flow of black money for the by-elections,” Govindavan told reporters. There is evidence that black money was brought into Palakkad. Therefore, there is a need for investigation in this regard.” Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly V.D. Satheesan filed a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that the CPI(M) had misused the police machinery as the raid was a “pre-planned action”.
BJP Kerala unit president K. Surendran alleged that the police helped Congress leaders in taking out black money from the hotel. “It is clear that black money was brought into the hotel,” he said. However, the police helped the Congress workers take out the money before the raid.
The Congress alleged that the CPI(M) carried out the raids to divert attention from the Kodakara black money case in which top BJP leaders were allegedly involved. A midnight police raid on the hotel over suspicion of black money sparked a political controversy on Wednesday. Police also searched the hotel rooms where senior Congress women leaders like Bindu Krishna and Shanimol Usman were staying.