Gold smuggling case: BJP demands Kerala CM's resignation

Image Source: IANS News

Image Source: IANS News

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 16 (IANS): BJP strongman in south and Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, has hit out at the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front government in Kerala over the recent gold smuggling case, and demanded the Chief Minister's resignation.

Muraleedharan, while addressing the media from a BJP podium, alleged that Vijayan has lost the moral right to remain in the chair of Kerala Chief minister given the latest developments which put a question mark on him.

Hitting out at the Left Front government, Muraleedharan questioned the source of the fire that broke out at the Kerala Secretariat on August 25.

"Contrary to the claims, forensic report says it wasn't short circuit. It means there was a deliberate effort on the part of someone to destroy the evidence," Muraleedharan said.

He even pointed at Vijayan's "close links" with his Principal Secretary who has been accused of "aligning" with the accused in the gold smuggling case.

"At least four agencies, including the NIA and Customs, are investigating the Kerala gold smuggling case. The prime accused Swapna Suresh took a commission of Rs 1 crore. The CBI is also probing the matter," Muraleedharan said.

The media briefing was also attended by another BJP face from Kerala - Tom Vadakkan.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the surfacing of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's name in the gold smuggling case proves that it was a meant to fund terror in India.

In a recent major development in the Kerala gold smuggling case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found links between one of the accused and India's most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his gang.

The NIA probe has revealed that one of the accused had visited Tanzania, where Dawood Ibrahim has vast networks, to launch his diamond business and to smuggle firearms.

The gold smuggling case became murkier after the role of Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate who was later employed with the Kerala IT Department, came to light.

Probe revealed that she had links with M. Sivasankar, senior IAS officer and secretary to Pinarayi Vijayan. She later revealed that Sivasankar was her mentor.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text