The arrest of a social media campaigners of the CPI(M) by the Customs Department in connection with the smuggling of 2.23 kg gold from Dubai to Kozhikode is causing embarrassment to the ruling party in Kerala.
Arjun Ayanki, also a former Kannur unit secretary of the party’s youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), is a Left social media ‘celeb’ with over 40,000 followers on Facebook.
The DYFI, however, denied any ties with Arjun after his name cropped up in the case. It also asked its supporters to stay away from such social media celebrities, who “fake ties” with the organisation. The car used by Arjun was allegedly owned by DYFI leader C. Sajesh, who was sacked from the DYFI after the case came to light.
According to the Customs, Arjun, who allegedly maintained close links with the smuggling racket, had gone to Kozhikode airport to receive the smuggled gold from a passenger, who was nabbed by the Customs on arrival.
Meanwhile, the car believed to be used by Arjun has been traced. Police had been on the lookout for the car which was suspected to be used in a gold smuggling case at Karipur airport in Kozhikode district.
The case started on June 21 after the Customs Department seized 2,332 grams of gold from a Malappuram native, identified as Mohammed Shafeeque Melethil, from Calicut International Airport in Karipur. The case got more attention after, on the same day, five young people died in a road accident in Kozhikode’s Ramanattukara and it emerged that they were linked to the gold smuggling case. They were allegedly chasing another rival smuggling gang, thinking that they were in possession of the gold brought by Mohammed Shafeeque, unaware that he was arrested by the Customs Department.
As the CPI(M) is facing embarrassment, the opposition is leaving no stone unturned to corner the ruling party. “The CPI(M) has become a party of the gold smugglers and goonda gangs,'' opposition leader V D Satheeshan said, while the BJP state president K. Surendran alleged that that the ruling party is getting a share of the gold smuggling happening in the state.
The CPI(M) state acting secretary A. Vijayaraghavan, however, asserted that the party will not support any anti-social activities. “We will not allow any of the party cadres to be involved in such dealings,'' he said.
But with Arjun’s arrest, the CPI(M) may be in for more headaches as the probe appears to lead to a few other CPI(M) and DYFI leaders in Kannur.
