Thiruvananathapuram, March 4 (TIWN) Hours after State Finance Minister Thomas Issac on Wednesday went hammer and tongs against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shot off a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) that the model code of conduct which is in force is being torpedoed at the instance of some Union Ministers.

"The Enforcement Directorate has recently been repeatedly calling officials of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) which includes ladies. It is pertinent to note that this has come close on the heels of the speech made by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Kochi on February 28 attacking the functioning of the KIIFB and also the budget of the state government," said Vijayan. 

"Yesterday the electronic media had carried a news that the chief executive officer of KIIFB and another official has been asked to appear before the ED, but no such summons was received by these officials. The aim is to create a smear campaign against the officials and the state Government. The rules laid down for conduct of free and fair elections are being contravened and this warrants intervention by the Election Commission of India so that agencies like ED follow the statute in letter and spirit and act in a politically neutral manner," said Vijayan.