Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary MV Govindan on Wednesday used the Enforcement Directorate (ED) clean chit for BJP leaders accused in the Kodakara hawala case to play the victim card. He said it was yet another example of the Centre's witch-hunt against the CPM. 

"The ED had no scruples whatsoever when they mounted false accusations against the party (CPM). But now they have worked deliberately to whitewash top BJP leaders including Surendran (former state BJP president) in the Kodakara hawala scam that involved crores of rupees," Govindan told reporters at the AKG Centre.

He said the ED had become a laughing stock before the public after refusing to question Thiroor Satheesh (the former office manager of the BJP's Thrissur ofice) and investigate what he had said about the case. Satheesh had said that the money was meant for the state BJP leaders.

Govindan said that the ED had transfomred the case into one of dacoity. "As if someone had stolen the ₹3.56 crore Dharmarajan (a Kozhikode-based businessman) had entrusted with his driver to purchase a hotel," Govindan said. The ED chargesheet is that the ₹3.56 crore the Dharmarajan's driver was carrying in his car was stolen.  "Why can't the ED probe from where Dharmarajan sourced the  ₹3.5 crore came," he said.

"We know the massive onslaught the ED had mounted against the Kerala government, the Chief Minister and his family in the gold smuggling case. So even while cooking up false campaigns and cases to put opposition governments in the dock, there is nothing that stops the ED from using the most illegitimate means to protect the BJP leadership," Govindan said.

He said that the ED's actions should be put up for public trial. As part of this, Govindan said that the CPM will march to the ED headquarters in Kochi on March 29. He said that the anti-ED protests would be scaled up and held at the district and area levels across Kerala.

When asked whether Kerala Police had done enough, Govindan said that the police had handed over all the details including the chargesheet to the central agency. He said the case, money laundering, did not come within the purview of the Kerala Police.