Kerala Gold scam: BJP's Surendran slams CM Vijayan over alleged communal turn to case

Reacting on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's attack on the BJP over the Gold Smuggling case, BJP state President K Surendran has slammed the Chief Minister alleging that he is playing dirty politics over the gold scam.

 "This is clear double standards. He is using the Holy Quran to cover up. This is communal dirty politics and people of Kerala will not agree to this," Surendran said attacking the CM. 

Vijayan on Saturday had slammed the Congress-led UDF for dragging the holy book into controversy and alleged the Opposition was toeing the BJP-RSS line on the issue and they need to introspect.

RSS and BJP had first alleged that gold had been smuggled in the guise of importing the holy book from the UAE, which was later reiterated by UDF's Congress and Muslim League leaders, Vijayan contended and said this was against the Holy book.

Vijayan was questioned about how the protests against the minister KT Jaleel who was questioned by the ED and NIA over the import of the holy book by the UAE consulate and his telephone conversation with Swapna Suresh a key accused in the smuggling case, could be described as being against the Holy Book, as was described by CPI(M).

Responding to it, Vijayan said, the Holy book was brought to the UAE consulate and the consulate general had sought help from Jaleel for distributing it as charity during Ramzan, to which the minister had obliged. 

"There was no need to drag the Holy book into a controversy and there was no need to attack the state government and the minister," he said.

"Congress and IUML need to introspect. RSS have their own agenda. Why did UDF toe the RSS stand?" the Chief Minister had asked.

Retaliating to CM Vijayan's remark, Congress leader and the leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the Marxist party should not be under the impression that people are fools.

The Gold smuggling scam is being investigated by NIA, ED and the Customs. The NIA has submitted an application before the special court seeking an extension of the judicial custody period of the accused and also added that other absconding accused in the case -- Fazil Fareed, Rabins Hameed, Sidhiqul Akbar, and Ahammed Kutty- are in UAE and steps have been taken for issuing Blue Notices against them through INTERPOL to secure them for investigation.

READ | Kerala Gold Smuggling: CM Vijayan Defends KT Jaleel, Says 'no Ground To Say He Did Wrong'

Gold Smuggling scam

On July 5, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sarith Kumar, who worked at the UAE Consulate was arrested in this regard. Reportedly, he told the Customs about the role of Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee now working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited. 

Following the backlash over her appointment, she was sacked by the state government. The NIA has already registered an FIR against Sarith Kumar, Swapna Suresh, Fazil Fareed, Sandeep Nair, and others. Various sections of the UAPA were slapped against the aforesaid individuals. The NIA has alleged that the smuggled gold was not used for jewellery purpose but for funding terror activities.

(With agency inputs)

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