Thrissur, Aug 2026 : Kerala Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday strongly denied allegations of hawala transactions involving him or any member of his family, while defending his daughter Veena Vijayan amid an ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation.
Speaking at his first press conference after the ED issued a statement earlier this week referring to alleged hawala transactions in connection with its probe involving Veena, Vijayan said he was completely confident that neither he nor his family had engaged in any such financial activity.
“I am fully confident that none from my family, including me, has been involved in any sort of hawala transactions,” Vijayan said, raising both hands to emphasise that he had nothing to hide.
The former Kerala Chief Minister also questioned the ED’s decision to issue a public statement about the investigation and alleged that the manner in which his name was mentioned was politically motivated.
Vijayan particularly objected to the agency’s reference to him as “P. Vijayan, former Chief Minister”. He said investigating agencies normally publish such statements on their official websites rather than highlighting the names of political figures in this manner.
“Normally, in such cases, such press statements are not put out. They are put on their website. Why was my name mentioned in this manner?” he asked.
According to Vijayan, the reference to his name appeared designed to create an impression that he was directly connected with the allegations being examined by the agency.
“It was done to see how my name could also be included,” he alleged.
Vijayan recalled that he had faced a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in 1996 after an individual reportedly appeared before the agency claiming to have given him ₹1 crore or ₹2 crore, allegedly in anticipation that Vijayan would become the next Electricity Minister.
He said he had cooperated fully with that investigation and was subsequently cleared of the allegations.
“Now a few people are behind us, trying to see how they can trap us,” Vijayan alleged, suggesting that the latest controversy was part of a broader attempt to target him and his family.
Defending his daughter, Vijayan said Veena had cooperated with the investigation from the very beginning and would continue to assist the authorities whenever required.
“Veena has cooperated with the probe right from the start and will do the same,” he said.
Vijayan clarified that he did not oppose the investigation itself but argued that the controversy had acquired a different political dimension because the person under scrutiny was his daughter.
He also criticised the Malayala Manorama media organisation, accusing it of repeatedly targeting him through what he described as misleading and baseless reports.
Vijayan alleged that reports were being published with the intention of creating controversy around him and his family and questioned how long such a campaign could continue.
“If it is against Pinarayi Vijayan, then they feel anything can be written,” he said, accusing the media organisation of pursuing a deliberate campaign against him.
Vijayan’s remarks constitute his first detailed public response to the ED’s latest statement. His defence of himself and Veena is likely to add another dimension to the ongoing political debate in Kerala surrounding the agency’s investigation and the allegations of financial irregularities.
