Kerala govt kept me in the dark in gold smuggling cases: Governor Arif Khan
Khan noted that he wrote to the chief minister on September 21 but only received a response on October 8.
Khan noted that he wrote to the chief minister on September 21 but only received a response on October 8.
Khan noted that he wrote to the chief minister on September 21 but only received a response on October 8.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of failing to inform him about gold smuggling activities in the state. Addressing the media, Khan stated, “If a serious crime is happening, the government should notify me. It took over 20 days to get an explanation from the chief minister.” He expressed frustration, saying, "They kept me in the dark."
Khan noted that he wrote to the chief minister on September 21 but only received a response on October 8. “Gold smuggling on a large scale is happening in the state. Should I not report this to the President? The CM is not even informing me about it," he remarked.
Earlier, the chief minister on Wednesday pointed to the customs department's responsibility, suggesting that the matter should be handled by the central government. Questioning this, Khan asked on Thursday why the issue wasn't reported earlier and if customs were at fault.
Regarding the PR controversy, Khan referenced The Hindu’s explanation, which claimed that a PR agency offered an interview with the chief minister. "But the CM denies any engagement with a PR agency, so what action has he taken against The Hindu? His credibility is questionable," Khan added, accusing the government of harbouring an "ego" toward the Raj Bhavan.