Kerala Police uses water cannons to disperse BJP protesters demanding Jaleel's resignation

The Kerala Police on Thursday used water cannons to disperse the BJP workers protesting outside the State Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram demanding the resignation of State Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel over his alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case.

The Kerala Minister KT Jaleel continues to face the heat in the gold smuggling cases. He was summoned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday. The minister reached the NIA office in Kochi at 6 am in a private vehicle and was questioned for two hours, as per sources. The gold smuggling case is currently being probed by the NIA, Enforcement Directorate and the Customs department as it pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels.

The matter related to the gold smuggling case had come to light after 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crores smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage was busted by the Customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5.

READ | Kerala gold smuggling: CM Vijayan defends KT Jaleel, says 'no ground to say he did wrong'

READ | Gold Smuggling Case: Kerala Students Union stage protest; demand KT Jaleel's resignation

Police uses water cannons to disperse protesting students

Meanwhile, a similar incident was reported two days back where water cannons were used to disperse protesting members of the Kerala Students Union KSU) on Tuesday by the Kerala Police, after they held a protest outside the Collectorate in Kozhikode to demand the resignation of KT Jaleel. Similar protests took place across the state, including a protest march in Thiruvananthapuram by several members of the KSU outside the Collectorate in Kozhikode on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mahila Morcha Committee also staged a protest in Malappuram in front of the district Collectorate in Malappuram on the same day.

READ | Kerala gold smuggling: Chennithala says KT Jaleel violated protocol, demands resignation

CM Vijayan Defends KT Jaleel

Earlier this week, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday has stated that there is no ground to say that the minister KT Jaleel did anything wrong. The Chief Minister informed that Jaleel was interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over a consignment that he had sent to the UAE which contained the holy book of Quran. Vijayan added that Jaleel has done what needed to be done. 

"ED interrogated State Minister KT Jaleel about consignment to UAE consulate containing Quran. There's no ground to say he did anything wrong. He is also Minister of Minority Affairs & Waqf. He did what was needed to be done," said CM Vijayan on Monday.

READ | Kerala gold smuggling: CM Vijayan defends KT Jaleel, says 'no ground to say he did wrong'

(With inputs from ANI)