New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: A day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the state government has nothing to do with the gold smuggling case and any action has to be taken by the Centre, Union Minister V Muraleedharan, said that the CM cannot wash his hands of.
On Sunday, the Air Customs attached to the Thiruvananthapuram airport had seized 30 kg gold that arrived on a cargo flight and was kept in a warehouse for release. The baggage had arrived from Dubai and is understood to have been marked to the UAE consulate which has its office in the heart of the state capital.
The consulate's former PRO, Sarith, has been arrested, while the prime suspect in the smuggling racket, Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, is on the run. Swapna Suresh is said to have close ties with top bureaucrat M Sivasankar. Pinarayi Vijayan removed him as his principal secretary and also as the IT department secretary, sensing that he could be questioned by the Customs in the case.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs Muraleedharan told the media in Delhi that the Centre views this gold smuggling case very seriously.
"All those involved in this smuggling will be brought to book. Various central agencies are seized of this case and are doing their work. What's most surprising is that the Kerala CM says the state government has nothing to do with it. He just cannot wash his hands of," said Muraleedharan.
"It's most surprising that a high ranking IAS official holding the post of his secretary and also heading the IT department had close links with an accused in the case. Yet he says they have no role. You (Pinarayi Vijayan) and your agencies have a very crucial role in probing this and yet you say since the airport comes under the Centre, the state government has no role. Your right hand man is in trouble," added Muraleedharan.
Swapna had worked in the consulate office here for a while and was on good terms with Sarith.
The Congress-led UDF and BJP-led NDA on Wednesday demanded Pinarayi's resignation and a probe into the gold smuggling case. The Congress said a CBI investigation was needed in the case.
Defending Pinarayi, was the Cabinet and State Industries Minister E P Jayarajan who blamed the Congress and the BJP for trying to help the smugglers.
"These parties are trying to divert issues by emphasising on Swapna, when the real issue is the smugglers. They are going berserk seeing the popularity of the Vijayan government and are saying baseless things and want to help the smugglers," said Jayarajan.
