Kerala CM Pinarayi says protests aimed to disrupt peace in state

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the protests in the aftermath of charges levelled by 2020 gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh linking him and family members was a plot to disrupt peace in the state and a challenge to the people of the state.

He was reacting to the untoward incident in the Thiruvananthapuram-bound flight from Kannur and subsequent political violence through his social media handles.

“What happened in the flight from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram is quite appalling. I saw that senior Congress leadership is justifying the reckless behaviour of their partymen inside the flight. This proves the conspiracy behind the incident.”

The current protest is a continuation of the “unnecessary and violence-triggering agitations staged by the UDF,” Pinarayi posted.

According to the CM, these protests can only be seen as a challenge to democracy and the people of the state. “They just want to disrupt peace across the State, and they are getting help from the BJP. There is a continuous attempt to provoke those who love the government and people in general. I would like to request everyone to not fall for it and be alert to democratically react to such attempts.”

It's only been a few days since Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in 2020's gold smuggling case that rattled Kerala, levelled a set of accusations against CM Pinarayi Vijayan. According to her statement, the CM and his family were involved in nefarious and anti-national activities at the UAE Consulate, Thiruvananthapuram.

Swapna also alleged that emissaries connected to the CM were now pressing her to not reveal the matters of the case. She said she has hired private security guards for her safety.

Recently, Pinarayi Vijayan had drawn flak for the police action to prevent people attending his events -- including media professionals - to refrain from wearing the black.

Both the Opposition Congress and BJP had scuffles with the police over this leading to widespread protests across the State, though the CM said on Monday that he has given no such orders against the colour black.

The 2020 gold smuggling case came to public domain after the Customs busted a smuggling racket linked to the Thiruvanthapuram consulate of the UAE.

The probe revealed that consular staff were hand in glove with gold smugglers in Kerala and the Middle East.

They reportedly used diplomatic channels to carry out smuggling. Money laundering also was likely attempted by the syndicate that enjoyed political patronage.