Mamata’s call for anti-BJP unity at Martyr’s Day rally junked by Congress, Left
Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said Mamata Banerjee should first focus on uniting her own party before attempting to forge an opposition alliance.
With Kerala heading into Assembly elections, Congress MP KC Venugopal has written a sharp open letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, raising a series of questions and alleging a possible understanding between the CPI(M)-led government and the BJP.
The letter, framed as 10 direct questions, comes at a time when the political contest between the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF is intensifying. The Opposition has repeatedly accused the Left of quietly aligning with the BJP at the Centre, a charge the ruling front has denied.
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Venugopal, who is also Congress General Secretary (Organisation), asked the Chief Minister to explain the purpose of his meetings with top Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman and Nitin Gadkari. He questioned why some of these interactions were held without officials and asked if any “deal” was being worked out.
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10 questions at a glance
‘Deal’ with BJP? The 10 questions KC Venugopal asked Pinarayi Vijayan
- Why were meetings with Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman held without officials? Was any “deal” discussed?
- What was the purpose of interactions with Nitin Gadkari outside formal settings?
- Why was the PM SHRI scheme implemented despite objections from CPI within the LDF?
- Were labour code decisions taken without consulting allies, and who benefited from the changes?
- Do repeated delays in the SNC-Lavalin case raise questions about external influence?
- Is there any link between the Exalogic case, Kodakara money trail and central agencies’ actions?
- What is the status of ED-related matters involving the Chief Minister’s family?
- Why is ADGP M R Ajith Kumar being protected despite serious allegations?
- Was there any undisclosed meeting with BJP leaders at a private venue in Delhi?
- Why did probes in gold and dollar smuggling cases slow down, and what happened to the Mohanan Commission?
Questions on schemes, cases and alleged ‘understanding’
The Congress leader also raised concerns over policy decisions and ongoing cases. He pointed to the implementation of the Centre’s PM SHRI scheme in Kerala despite reported objections from CPI, an ally in the ruling coalition, and asked why it was pushed through.
On labour reforms, Venugopal alleged that decisions linked to the central labour codes were taken without consulting allies. He also questioned changes in trade union registration fees and asked who stood to benefit.
The letter further refers to the SNC-Lavalin case and suggests that repeated delays in court proceedings raise questions. Venugopal also mentioned the Exalogic case, the Kodakara hawala matter, and Enforcement Directorate notices linked to the Chief Minister’s family, asking if there was any connection with what he described as a larger “understanding” with the Centre.
He also sought answers on allegations involving senior police officer M R Ajith Kumar and the handling of the Thrissur Pooram issue. The letter asks whether there were any undisclosed meetings between the Chief Minister and BJP leaders.
The Congress MP also brought up the gold and dollar smuggling cases linked to former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar, questioning why investigations slowed down and what became of the Justice VK Mohanan Commission set up by the state.
The letter ends by urging the Chief Minister to respond to what he described as “questions in the minds of the people” after a decade of governance.
Kerala is set to vote on April 9 for its 140-member Assembly, with counting scheduled for May 4.
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