Published Sep 25, 2026 | 6:08 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 25, 2026 | 6:08 PM
When asked about the allegations by reporters, Satheesan declined to respond and told the reporters, "Move aside… I am not meeting you."
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan appeared to lose his cool on Friday, September 25, when reporters questioned him about allegations that he received money from former Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) Managing Director S. Sasidharan Kartha, amid a fresh controversy over Kartha’s alleged diary.
The controversy was triggered by allegations raised by BJP leader Shone George on September 24. George alleged that a page from Kartha’s diary, which he claimed was among documents submitted by the SFIO to court, contains the names of several political leaders, including Satheesan.
When asked about the allegations by reporters, Satheesan declined to respond and told the reporters, “Move aside… I am not meeting you.”
Satheesan was at the Painavu Collectorate in Idukki, where he met people who had come to submit petitions on various issues.
Industries Minister P.K Kunhalikutty, whose name is allegedly mentioned in the diary entry, also declined to comment on the allegations.
The CMRL has been at the centre of the money laundering allegations and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case involving former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter T.Veena.
Meanwhile, sources close to the chief minister justified his response and argued that he had revived the practice of holding a press conference after the weekly Wednesday Cabinet meeting, a practice that had been discontinued under the former CM Pinarayi Vijayan. They pointed to his interactions with the media since taking office in May 2026.
According to the sources, the revived briefings have been marked by extended interactions with journalists, with Satheesan routinely staying back to respond to questions on a range of issues.
The sources argued that media interactions should not disrupt people who come to meet the chief minister directly and submit petitions on their grievances.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
