Congress Lawmaker Criticises Kerala Govt’s Cautious FIR Move in CMRL‑Exalogic Case

Congress parliamentarian Mathew Kuzhalnadan condemned the Kerala government’s wait‑and‑watch stance on filing an FIR in the CMRL‑Exalogic pay‑off matter during a party meeting. A Kerala High Court Division Bench on Thursday rejected pleas by Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena and son‑in‑law P.A. Mohamed Riyas seeking to halt a single‑judge order to register the FIR. Kuzhalnadan argued that the government’s decision to start a preliminary inquiry on legal advice was proven wrong by observations of both the single and division benches, and he demanded an explanation in party forums. The comment sparked a heated exchange with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who defended a pragmatic approach and said the FIR was now filed after the court’s direction. Senior Congress leaders added that a swift FIR after the Enforcement Directorate shared information under Section 66(2) of the PMLA could have let the LDF claim a secret deal with the BJP. Kuzhalnadan also protested the Advocate General’s aggressive argument before the High Court for a stay on the FIR order and recalled the LDF’s past “hounding” of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. In a Facebook post, Congress spokesperson Jinto John warned that the delay fuels suspicion, recalling earlier alleged attempts to implicate Congress figures in other scams, and urged that no action appear to shield the central figure of the pay‑off scandal. ## Context The dispute highlights how political parties in Kerala balance legal advice with public pressure, especially when high‑profile corruption probes intersect with electoral rivalries.