ED summons :Kerala CM comes out in support of addl pvt secretary

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday came out in support of his additional private secretary C M Raveendran, who has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate, and said he and his party (CPI-M) trusts him and hence was not worried.

The ED is probing the money trial in the gold smuggling case.

However, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala claimed the chief minister was now worried "as the probe has almost reached him." "Now that the probe has reached the additional private secretary, the chief minister is worried.All this proves that the opposition allegations were right," Chennithala said at a press conference.

When asked about a second person from his personal staff under the scanner of probe agencies, Vijayan said he was not worried as he has known Raveendran for many years.

"We are not worried.The probe agencies might have called him forsome information.He is a very known person to me.He has worked in various positions with the party and the previous Left government and we all trust him.

Summoning by a probe agency does not make him a culprit," Vijayan said.

Multiple probe agencies are investigating various matters including one related to goldsmuggling through diplomatic baggage and the Life Mission housing projects at Wadakancherry.

Hitting out at the opposition parties for raising allegations against the Left government's key projects, including the Life Mission and the K-Fon projects, Vijayan said they were trying to undermine the government's efforts to complete developmental projects of the state.

"They are trying to sabotage K-Fon, an important project to ensure that there is no digital divide in the Kerala society.

The opposition is creating a smokescreen and persons with vested interests are trying to raise doubts in the civil society.Based on all these, they are also trying to sabotage the governance of the state," Vijayan said.

He said the state government was not interested in controversies but in the developmental activities for the people.

"No one can stop us from fulfilling the responsibilities we have taken up.This is an assurance we have given to the people of Kerala.

We will fulfill the task entrusted to us by the people," he added.

The ED had issued a notice to Raveendran asking him to appear at the Kochi office on Friday reportedly in connection with some statements of suspended IAS officer M Sivasankar who is already under custody in the gold smuggling case.