The ethics committee of the Kerala Legislative Assembly has issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to explain why the agency had sought records of the Life Mission project from the State government.
The Legislative Secretariat had issued the breach of privilege notice based on a complaint from Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator James Mathew. He alleged that the ED’s intrusive and legally questionable inquiry into Life Mission had hobbled the government’s effort to provide free and modern housing for the poor.
The government had promised the Assembly that the project would progress fast. The ED’s action was tantamount to breach of legislative privilege. The Assembly gave ED a week to reply.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala slammed the move as an overzealous action on the part of Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan. He said the ED’s investigation into an alleged money laundering offence was not tantamount to breach of legislative privilege.
He said Mr. Sreeramakrishnan behaved as if he was “more loyal than the king”. Mr. Chennithala said he would petition the Speaker to withdraw the notice to the ED.
