Kerala: CPM releases new footage in Palakkad black money row, claims Rahul left in another car
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Nov 7, 2024, 6:40 PM ISTCPM releases new footage alleging Congress transported black money in Palakkad. Earlier, UDF's Rahul Mamkoottathil and MP Shafi Parambil dismiss claims, citing inconsistencies and questioning CPM's motives and alliance with BJP amid ongoing controversy.
Palakkad: The CPM has made fresh moves in its campaign surrounding the recent midnight raid at a hotel in Palakkad, releasing new footage to support its allegation that Congress transported black money. The latest visuals, shown from outside the KPM Hotel, are now part of the ongoing controversy. Yesterday, the CPM had released footage from inside the hotel, which included a scene of KSU leader Fenny Ninan leaving with a blue trolley bag. In response, UDF candidate Rahul Mamkoottathil dismissed the allegation, claiming the bag contained only clothes.
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The newly released visuals indicate that Rahul Mamkoottathil did not travel in the same car as Fenny Ninan, who carried the trolley bag. Instead, Rahul was in a separate car, with the car carrying the bag following behind him. The CPM has questioned why Rahul did not travel in the same car as the bag if it only contained clothes, suggesting that this raises doubts about the true contents of the bag.
Meanwhile, MP Shafi Parambil has criticized both the CPM and BJP and said that the black money allegations against Congress have collapsed. He accused the CPM and BJP of creating an embarrassing situation with the raid on the hotel where Congress women leaders were staying. Shafi argued that the raid, far from discrediting Congress, only caused internal embarrassment for the CPM and has damaged its public image. He also pointed out that CPM leaders have changed their earlier allegations. The footage released by the CPM, according to Shafi, clearly shows Rahul Mamkoottathil entering and exiting through the front door of the hotel, further suggesting that the claims of black money smuggling are baseless.
Shafi Parambil also alleged declining standards within the CPM’s campaign, criticizing the party for its inconsistent approach to candidate selection and internal disagreements. He alleged that the CPM district secretary has failed to unite the party, with even the candidate expressing differing views from the leadership. He further accused the CPM of working with the BJP behind the scenes to bring the BJP to the top "through the back door."
In addition, Shafi Parambil pointed to the failure of the DYFI to hold a protest over the Kodakara hawala case, despite a police report claiming that crores of rupees in hawala money had arrived. He also questioned the timing of the police raid, which began late at night and only saw election officials arrive the next morning, signing as witnesses to the search. Shafi Parambil has filed a complaint with the Central Election Commission, calling for an inquiry into the incident.
Addressing the alliance between the CPM and BJP during the raid, Shafi Parambil said the coordination between the two parties was clear to everyone present at the hotel. He also criticized the CPM district secretary and Minister MB Rajesh for aligning too closely with BJP state president K Surendran, suggesting that the CPM leadership had more faith in Surendran than in their own candidate. He vowed that the legal and political battle over the raid would continue.
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