Kuzhalnadan challenges CM to prove allegations absurd; Old wine in new bottle, says Minister Riyas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan got angry on the allegations levelled against his daughter during the adjournment debate yesterday, Mathew Kuzhalnadan MLA produced evidence for it.

The MLA alleged during the debate that Veena, daughter of the chief minister had penned in the website of Exalogic Company that Jaik Balakumar, director of PricewaterhouseCooper, who appointed Swapna Suresh in the Secretariat, is like her mentor. This note has been removed from the site, the MLA said while addressing the media today.

He displayed the part clarifying this on the website. The Muvattupuzha MLA alleged that the website of Veena’s company was not available after the allegations were raised in the gold smuggling case and then was available after making changes.

The company itself had claimed on its website that Jaik Balakumar is one of the important persons in Exalogic. However, the site was downed in May 2020 and when it became operational in June, all information about Jaik disappeared.

The chief minister got provoked when said about his daughter. There was no mention of his daughter’s privacy. I know what I have said. Can the chief minister deny that Swapna Suresh was appointed by Pricewaterhouse Coopers? The MLA also challenged the chief minister to prove that what he said was absurd.

Meantime, Veena’s husband Minister Mohammed Riyas rejected the allegations levelled. He said the old wine in new bottle. This was circulated before the assembly polls in 2021. Riyas said such campaigns led to our victory.