‘You Didn’t Go To Have Tea’: Alan’s Sharp Response To Pinarayi Vijayan

Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's old “tea” remark has resurfaced in the political conversation after Alan Shuaib, who was arrested in the controversial Pantheerankavu UAPA case in 2019, posted a pointed message on social media. Addressing Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena Vijayan and son-in-law P.A. Mohammed Riyas, Alan wrote: “You didn't go to have tea.” The remark appears to be a direct reference to words Vijayan used years ago.

Alan and his friend Thaha Fazal were arrested by the Kerala Police in November 2019 and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on allegations of having Maoist links. Their arrests triggered a major political controversy, with sections of the Left also questioning the decision to invoke UAPA against the two students. The case was later handed over to the National Investigation Agency during Vijayan's tenure as Chief Minister.

When the Kerala government faced questions over the arrests at the time, Vijayan had defended the action by asking the media whether Alan and Thaha had gone to the location “to have tea”. The two students subsequently spent a long period in jail before securing bail. Years later, Alan has brought the same phrase back into public debate, this time using it in response to developments involving Vijayan and his family.

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Alan's latest post came as the Enforcement Directorate has sought action under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vijayan, Riyas, Veena and others in connection with its findings concerning CMRL-Exalogic financial transactions. According to the source material, the agency has submitted a 25-page report along with supporting documents to State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar. Alan did not provide a detailed explanation alongside his brief social media message.

The one-line post has an unmistakable element of political payback, given the history behind the phrase. A remark once used by Vijayan while responding to questions over the UAPA arrests has now been turned back on him by one of the people at the centre of that controversy. Alan's message does not spell out his argument, but its reference to the old statement makes the intended political context clear.

The Pantheerankavu case had placed Alan at the centre of a political controversy in Kerala, while his latest post revisits that episode years later. Rather than issuing a lengthy political statement, Alan chose a single sentence associated with the controversy. His reference has consequently revived attention on the earlier UAPA case and Vijayan's response to the arrests.

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