Central agencies helping BJP-Congress alliance in Kerala: Pinarayi

Pinarayi alleged that the customs commissioner has been dancing to the tune of some political leaders. 
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (Photo | Albin Mathew, EPS)
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (Photo | Albin Mathew, EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the state got into the election mode, the central enforcement agencies have finally resorted to ‘poozhikadakan’ — the last of the 18 techniques in ‘Kalaripayattu’ which is considered an evasive measure done in desperately disadvantageous situations — to put the state government on the mat with an eye on helping the Kerala-level Congress-BJP alliance, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. 

Addressing the media in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, Pinarayi said if the Enforcement Directorate has been trying to destroy KIIFB, now the customs has taken over the campaign for BJP and Congress in Kerala against the government. “The customs commissioner has submitted a statement recorded under Section 164 in the High Court in a case in which he was not a party. The motive behind the move is to tarnish the image of the state government,” he said. 

Pinarayi alleged that the customs commissioner has been dancing to the tune of some political leaders. 
“The commissioner had submitted the statement recorded in last November. Firstly, the statement under Section 164 should not be revealed to anyone,” he said.

CM: Central agencies’ tactics won’t work here

“The BJP state president and Opposition leader had in last November itself raised the issue. But it didn’t get people’s attention as it was aimed at tarnishing the image of the state government. Now, they have come up again, but this time the customs commissioner has become the puppet in their hands,” he said. 
Pinarayi said the customs was not interested in arresting the perpetrators of gold smuggling as the agency is still clueless on the rackets that sent the gold consignments or for whom they were sent.

LDF workers taking out a protest march to the
customs zonal office in Thiruvananthapuram
on Saturday | Vincent Pulickal

“They are desperately looking ways to link the crime with any of the officials or leaders in the state government. When their attempts to link the crime with CMO failed due to the revelation of an upright joint customs commissioner, he was transferred to Nagpur to implement the plans of BJP in the state,” he said. “Isn’t it only after a MoS for External affairs from Kerala took charge that gold smuggling through diplomatic channel started to Kerala,” he asked.

He also sought to know the connection between the minister and the person who insisted the gold smuggling accused not to reveal the diplomatic connection in the smuggling. “Why did the minister take a stance that the smuggling was held not through the diplomatic channel, despite a MoS for Finance informed Parliament about the diplomatic connection of smuggling,” he asked. 

“All these developments and the latest campaigning of customs on behalf of the BJP and Congress show that there is a move to put the government in a bad light. But they should understand that this is Kerala and such tactics will not do any good for them as the people know this government very well,” he said.

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