THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has summoned Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan and State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb over the chief minister’s controversial interview that appeared in an English daily.
In the interview, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that money from hawala and gold smuggling was used for anti-state and anti-national activities.
Khan asked the CS and police chief to give an explanation on the matter in person at the Raj Bhavan at 4pm on Tuesday.
The gvernor resorted to the unusual step after the chief minister did not reply to his letter sent earlier. The governor also asked the officers to give an explanation of the action taken on the phone tapping allegation against MLA P V Anvar.
Though the CM later disowned the controversial reference, the controversy refused to die down with the Opposition attacking the government in the Assembly session that began on Friday.
Khan had recently said that he was disturbed by the CM’s comment that the proceeds from the smuggling of gold were being used for anti-national and anti-state activities.
“And I take exception to the fact that he has kept me in the dark about it. Anti-national activities are a serious subject. Why has he not shared information with me? And since when does he know about these anti-national activities? What action has the government taken against those who are indulging in anti-national activities?” he asked the media on October 3.
In the controversial interview published on September 30, Pinarayi is quoted as saying: “When our government acts against Muslim extremist elements, these forces try to project we are acting against Muslims. For example, 150 kg of gold and hawala money worth Rs 123 crore were seized by the state police in the last five years from Malappuram district. This money is entering Kerala for anti-state and anti-national activities.”
When the reference erupted into a controversy, the chief minister disowned the reference. The newspaper also issued a clarification that the particular question and answer were handed by a PR agency that arranged the interview.