Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is facing sharp criticism for allegedly using party workers as human shields during Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at his residences in Kannur, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. The ED conducted searches in connection with a money laundering case involving Vijayan’s daughter, Veena Vijayan, who is a director of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL). Party workers gathered in large numbers at all three locations, hurling slogans and objects at ED and CRPF personnel, leading to a tense standoff.

The raids came a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition by CMRL officials seeking to stay the ED investigation. The court’s order on Tuesday paved the way for the searches. At Vijayan’s rented house in Thiruvananthapuram, workers attempted to breach the gate and threw bottles and stones at security forces. In Kannur, senior CPM leaders M.V. Jayarajan and P. Jayarajan were called inside to witness that nothing was seized, and they later appealed to workers to disperse. The ED team in Kozhikode was forced to remain inside their vehicle for a considerable time due to the hostile crowd.

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Critics argue that Vijayan’s decision to mobilize party workers reflects an attempt to obstruct the investigation and create a martyr if any violence occurred. They point out that Vijayan has consistently shielded his daughter from questioning, unlike the party’s earlier stance in similar cases. The ED has gathered extensive documents related to transactions between Veena Vijayan and CMRL, and her cooperation with the investigation is now crucial.