THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM has alleged a conspiracy to save the real accused in the gold smuggling case. The party leadership has urged the Centre to conduct a comprehensive probe into the smuggling case. The party said deliberate attempts are being made to point fingers at the state government and the ruling LDF in this connection.
In a statement here, the CPM state secretariat said the Congress and the BJP along with a section of the media, who are prompted by political and economic motives, are trying to create a smokescreen. “There are some basic questions on who’s behind the smuggling, who’s helping it, for how long it’s been going on and who is the beneficiary. But there’s a clear move to prevent any such questions from emerging in the public domain,” it alleged.
The chief minister has demanded a thorough investigation into the case and offered all support. Yet, the statements of Union Minister V Muraleedharan are aimed at evading his responsibility, is how the CPM sees it.Referring to reports, the CPM said it was a BMS leader who had first called up the Customs official in connection with the smuggling case. BJP state president K Surendran cast aspersions on the CMO to deflect attention from this. The UDF also supported this move.
Swapna Suresh, who’s allegedly involved in the case, had earlier worked with an Air India-related establishment and the UAE Consulate. It was only later that she became a temporary staff with an establishment that had been awarded a sub-contract by the IT department. Soon after reports linking Swapna Suresh with the smuggling case emerged, the government issued the necessary orders for her termination. Also, the government did not hesitate to remove the CM’s principal secretary. The Left government adopted a bold stance, which cannot be expected from any other government, it said.