The BJP, on Monday, asked Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to come clean on the gold smuggling case, and alleged that the CM is attempting to interfere with the investigation. The party asked Vijayan to ensure free and fair probe into the case.
On a day when the Enforcement Directorate quizzed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case, the BJP deployed a battery of senior leaders to attack the Kerala CM in the gold smuggling case.
"When the gold smuggling scam was exposed in 2020, the chief minister wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it had serious implications for the country. He even offered help of the state government (in the investigation). He is now using state police to block central agencies who have the expertise to investigate case," Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar said at a press conference at the BJP head quarters in Delhi.
Chandrashekar alleged that there were attempts to settle the matter with Swapna Suresh, an accused in the case, by people connected to the CM. "The state government is adopting carrot and stick policy," he claimed.
Why has the CM, who had said during the election campaigns that the case had serious ramifications, gone slow on the investigation, asked the senior BJP leader. “Never before a CPI(M) CM been accused of criminal conspiracy. He must come clean. He must ensure free and fair investigations.”
Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan asked the Kerala CM why he is afraid of the colour black and sought to know why the government is trying to ensure that no one wears black colour cloths in the functions attended by the CM. “Its is height of fascism in Kerala. Police has been kept on guard. CM has kept protection which is unheard of in Kerala. Why should someone be frightened if he has nothing to hide.”
Party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan too attacked the CPI(M) government in the state, saying Communism was on its last legs in India.
