Kerala Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan has slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his party CPI-M for playing spoilsport on investors.

“On the one hand, we see Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on globetrotting trips inviting investors into Kerala with the hashtag, ‘the best place for investment’, and on the other hand we see his own party playing spoilsport on investors as was visible in his own home district Kannur,” Satheesan said on Monday.

Satheesan wrote to Vijayan expressing deep anguish on the actual scenario as investors are getting a raw deal, especially from the trade union wing of the CPI-M, the CITU and pointed out the example where a trader in his (Vijayan) home district of Kannur was forced to down shutters after he confronted the powerful CITU.

“Fail to understand what’s happening in Kerala, as on one hand investors are being invited, but even local business establishments are finding it tough to go forward and end up committing suicide, like an investor Sajan. At Punalur also we saw Sugathan take his life away. In both these incidents neither the CPI-M nor the ruling Left Front can wash their hands off. It’s the CPI-M and its leaders who are ruling and there is no government at all. Things are reaching dangerous levels and Vijayan should act,” said an angry Satheesan.

Trouble has been brewing at Vijayan’s hometown when the owner of SR Traders set up a hardware shop on August 2, 2021, at Mathamangalam in Payyanur of Kannur district.

Instead of depending on the local head load workers of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) affiliated to the ruling CPI-M which is a practice in Kannur district, the owner of SR Traders, Rubi Mohammed took loading and unloading license for his staff.

This led to a confrontation with the CITU head load workers at the area who blocked the licensed workers of the shop to load and unload when the material came to the shop.

Infuriated with the owner of the shop directly using his staff to load and unload the materials, CITU local leaders barged into the shop and assaulted the owner, Rubi Mohammed. The CITU erected a temporary shanty opposite the shop and conducted protest from morning till evening and started preventing people who came to buying materials from the shop.

Rubi Mohammed unable to bear all the attack decided to shut shop that he set up after investing Rs 7.5 million.

Satheesan also pointed out that a customer Afsal who had gone to purchase things from the shop was also harassed badly.

Kerala Labour Minister, V. Sivankutty on Monday tried to play it down and said he has asked for a detailed report from the concerned labour official and the stock statement came from LDF convener A. Vijayaraghavan, “that what happened at Payyanur in Kannur is just a one-off incident and Kerala is the most investor friendly destination,”.

State Industries Minister P. Rajeev, who just the last week came after attending an investor meet in the UAE, said things will be looked into.

This particular incident has caused heartburns in the Vijayan government as this has occurred at his home district and with the state assembly session to begin later this week, the Congress led Opposition is all set to take it up in a big way.