Cliff House ‘link’ resurfaces, CM calls charges defamatory

Thiruvananthapuram: The Life Mission controversy rocked the assembly again on Tuesday, with the opposition raising allegations against chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan by reading out from a remand report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against CM's former principal secretary M Sivasankar and Vijayan fuming at it.
The remand report was read out by Mathew Kuzhalnadan of the Congress during discussion on an adjournment notice moved by him on the case. The ED is investigating the alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulations) Act in Life Mission, a flagship housing project of the government.
Law and industries minister P Rajeeve and local self-government minister M B Rajesh cited laws and the Congress party's national policy against using the ED to silence political opponents but opposition leader V D Satheesan raised counter arguments.
Seeking leave for adjournment motion on the ongoing probe against Life Mission, Kuzhalnadan asked the chief minister whether he can deny a statement in the remand report that he held a meeting with the UAE consular general, Sivasankar and Swapna Suresh at the Cliff House. He also said the chief minister should approach the court if he was denying it.
Responding to the charge, the chief minister said no such meeting had occurred. He asked if Kuzhalnadan was the ED’s lawyer in the assembly.