BJP does not accept diversity … trying to make states honorary municipalities of Centre: Former Kerala minister

Former Kerala Finance Minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac (71) filed his nomination as the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate on Saturday from the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat in the shadow of thesixth summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The agency has issued the summons in connection with alleged violations while issuing masala bonds by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) during his tenure as finance minister between 2016 and 2021.

The CPI(M) leader speaks to The Indian Express about the BJP’s alleged politicisation of central agencies, his vision for Pathanamthitta, and fiscal federalism.

Excerpts:

The ED move is politically motivated. They are stepping up harassment, particularly after I was declared the candidate. I have not been charged with money laundering. Someone in Delhi must have thought there had been corruption while executing KFIIB’s projects worth Rs 80,000 crore.

Initially, they argued that state government agencies cannot issue masala bonds but that argument fell through after the Reserve Bank of India permitted us. We have complied with the regulations.

The ED issued a summons two years ago as well. I told them I would come. Then they sent another summons asking for bank account and company details. This is an intrusion of privacy. I approached the court asking what the charges were. The ED did not have an answer and one-and-a-half years later had to withdraw the summons.

The ED cannot arrest me. It has been given unlimited powers only in money laundering cases. In a case of foreign exchange violations, it first needs to prove I was wrong. I challenged the new summons in the Kerala High Court and my decision will depend on what the court says. (The court on