Rahul Gandhi Alleges Modi ‘Controls’ Kerala CM Vijayan, Questions ED Inaction

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was being “controlled” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , while questioning why central agencies had not taken action against him despite investigations against several opposition leaders.

Addressing the concluding session of the Puthuyuga Yatra in Thiruvananthapuram, Gandhi said he had faced extensive scrutiny by central agencies but wondered why similar action had not been taken against the Kerala Chief Minister and his family. The Congress leader also accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of working together in Kerala to defeat the United Democratic Front (UDF) .

Gandhi claimed that he was facing 36 cases and had been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for 55 hours , while no comparable action had been taken against Vijayan. “Why has the ED taken no action on the Chief Minister of Kerala and his family? The reason is that they are working together,” he alleged.

He further asserted that in Kerala the contest was not between the CPM and the BJP but a “CJP” , suggesting a political understanding between the two parties to weaken the UDF. Gandhi also drew a comparison involving former US President Donald Trump, claiming that “the exact same way that Trump controls PM Modi, PM Modi controls the Chief Minister of Kerala.”

Meanwhile, the ED had issued show-cause notices in November 2025 to Vijayan and officials of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) in connection with alleged violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) . According to officials, the notices were issued during adjudication proceedings and did not require the recipients to appear personally.

Apart from Vijayan, who serves as Chairman of KIIFB , notices were sent to K. M. Abraham , Chief Executive Officer of KIIFB, and T. M. Thomas Isaac , the board’s Vice-Chairman.

The case relates to external commercial borrowings raised through Masala Bonds listed on the London and Singapore stock exchanges , through which KIIFB reportedly mobilised ₹2,672.80 crore for infrastructure projects. Investigators have alleged that ₹466.91 crore of these funds was used for land purchases , which may violate Reserve Bank of India guidelines governing such borrowings. Officials cited RBI communications and regulatory directions that restrict the use of such funds for land acquisition.