Key Points

“The stage has come when all the perfume of Arabia will not be able to wash away the stains of corruption indulged in by Vijayan,” said Venugopal.

He said this while inaugurating the Nilambur Assembly bye-election convention and asked the people of Nilambur to ensure that everyone votes for Aryadan Shoukath, which will set the ball rolling for the exit of CM Vijayan, as the 2026 Assembly elections are round the corner.

Venugopal said that by virtue of being the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, he was shocked to hear the sequence of events of what happened, when he attended the meeting held last week to discuss the crumbling of the National Highway (NH)-66 passing through Malappuram.

“I was really surprised to hear the way CM Vijayan, who was always taking credit for NH-66 till it crumbled, reacted to the news. The moment the news surfaced that NH-66 was breaking not at one place, but at several spots, he did not even go and visit the spots where the highway has developed cracks, despite being in Malappuram for the past two days,” said Venugopal.

“Since I was at the meeting last week with the Chairman of the National Highway Authority of India and the Transport Secretary, I know that major corruption has taken place in the construction of NH-66, but Vijayan now maintains stoic silence on the issue,” said Venugopal.

Turning against CM Vijayan, who on Sunday spoke about being 'treacherous', Venugopal said if there was one person who could be equated to that word, it was none other than Vijayan, as all would recall the interview given by the Chief Minister to an English national daily wherein he insulted Malappuram district.

“CM Vijayan said that '150 kg of gold and hawala money worth Rs 123 crore were seized by the Kerala Police in the last five years from Malappuram district. This money is entering Kerala for anti-State and anti-national activities'. This is what Vijayan said and this is an insult to Malappuram ,” added Venugopal.

"Another classic example of the treacherous role played by Vijayan is how he worked to see the victory of BJP candidate Suresh Gopi from the Thrissur Lok Sabha after he successfully created confusion at the famed Thrissur Pooram festivities," he pointed out.

Nilambur goes to the polls on June 19 after sitting two-time Left Independent legislator quit the Assembly following difference of opinion with CM Vijayan.

Pitted in the poll is Aryadan Shoukath of the Congress, M. Swaraj of the CPI-M, Mohan George of the BJP and Anvar, who is contesting as a candidate of the All India Trinamool Congress.

- IANS