New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 4: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raked up the controversial gold smuggling case in his speech at Thrissur in Kerala, the Congress party in the state on Thursday targeted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleging that the central government failed to take action in that case due to “an understanding” with the BJP.
Modi, while addressing a gathering of women in Thrissur yesterday, had mentioned that everyone knows whose office had indulged in gold smuggling.
The case relates to the seizure of 30 kg of gold on July 5, 2020 from a diplomatic bag in air cargo of Trivandrum International Airport by the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kochi. The consignment was found in a bag from the UAE, marked as diplomatic baggage which is exempted from inspection in accordance with the Vienna Convention. Vijayan’s then Principal Secretary M Sivasankar was arrested in connection with the case.
Talking to media in New Delhi, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan asked Prime Minister Modi why he let go of the issue if he was convinced that someone from that particular office was involved in gold smuggling.
Meanwhile, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran said the prime minister, who claimed to have knowledge about the gold smuggling case, should clarify what action has been taken against the culprits.
“Why did the central agencies fail to raid the concerned office despite knowing the involvement in gold smuggling? Why did the central agencies wrap up the investigation just before the last assembly elections,” Satheesan asked.
He said the central agencies were raiding the offices of chief ministers and other ministers of all non-BJP ruled states but has “made peace with the CPI(M) in Kerala”.
“They (CPI(M) and BJP) both have a common agenda to ensure that the Congress does not come to power in Kerala and it was evident in the speech of the prime minister yesterday,” Satheesan alleged.
Sudhakaran alleged that the investigating agencies closed the case just before the 2021 assembly elections and helped Vijayan win a second term in office.
Sudhakaran also alleged that Vijayan refused to utter a single word against Modi during the Nava Kerala Sadas yatra and BJP workers did not raise any protest either. (PTI)
