‘Karipur gold smuggling, Malappuram hawala seizure facts,' says CM Pinarayi Vijayan
KOZHIKODE/T’PURAM : A day after Opposition UDF and estranged LDF MLA P V Anvar tried to corner the chief minister over the controversial Malappuram mention, CM Pinarayi Vijayan distanced himself from the Malapuram row. Coming under fire for trying to project Malappuram as a crime hotspot in a recent interview, Pinarayi clarified that the controversial remarks were wrongly attributed to him.
Speaking at the inauguration of the AKG Auditorium in Kozhikode on Tuesday, Pinarayi said he has not mentioned any specific district or community in the interview. The CM, however, pointed out that gold smuggling through Karipur airport and seizure of hawala money from Malappuram district were factual occurrences, and questioned why some were alarmed by these revelations. Pinarayi further emphasised that his opposition to communalism, including minority communalism, should not be equated with opposition to any particular group or community.
Earlier in the day, the CMO said the controversial remarks do not reflect the CM’s views and the state government’s stance on these matters. Later the publication too clarified that the portion disowned by the CMO were given by a PR agency. Curiously, the chief minister had mentioned about gold smuggling and hawala seizure in Malappuram district at his press conference on September 21.
Even as the chief minister came out with an open clarification, Opposition Congress and the Muslim League targeted the CM for using the PR agency.
While senior IUML leader P K Kunhalikkutty said if the controversial information was given by a PR agency, that makes it all the more serious. IUML general secretary P M A Salam said what was voiced through the PR agency reflected the RSS agenda. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan questioned the delay in clarification and also sought to know why the chief minister maintained links with such PR agencies. BJP state chief K Surendran, meanwhile, criticised the CM for making a U-turn in the issue. Pinarayi changed his stance as he was scared of Muslim League and P V Anvar, alleged Surendran.
In a detailed speech in Kozhikode, the chief minister said that his comments were willfully misinterpreted. He further said that a letter was sent from his office seeking explanations from the newspaper that later went on to rectify the mistake that had been earlier published. But despite this rectification, the incorrect part of the news is still being looked at and circulated by vested interests,” he added.
The factual mentions of gold smuggling and hawala money seizures at Karipur and Malappuram were now being distorted for political gains, Pinarayi said.
He called for an end to the propagation of misinformation and highlighted the need for integrity in public discourse. He also accused the RSS and BJP of aligning with the Zionist agenda to appease the United States, stressing that his stance was not meant to favour any group. He further criticised the promotion of communal agendas and urged people to reject attempts to sow seeds of division among them.
The CM also addressed allegations raised by P V Anvar, confirming that a serious investigation was under way and that necessary actions would follow, once the report is submitted. He warned of attempts to disrupt the state’s systems through communal provocations, but reaffirmed his belief in Malappuram’s strong secularism.
The CM noted that Anvar had publicly declared that he is not part of the CPM’s legislative party, leaving open his future political alignment. The motive behind these allegations is now under investigation. A team led by the state police chief has been tasked with this, with the inquiry expected to conclude within a month. Action will be taken promptly upon receiving the report, reaffirmed the CM.
Pinarayi also criticised efforts to label the CPM and its leaders as communal, defending their diligent commitment to non-alignment with communal forces.
He expressed concern about the BJP’s rise in Thrissur, noting the 86,000-vote drop for Congress between 2019 and 2024, which coincided with an increase of 16,000 votes for the LDF and over 100,000 votes for the BJP. He urged the public to take serious note of these developments, hinting at the political significance of the shifting voter base.
UDF YOUTH ORGANISATIONS’ MARCH ON OCTOBER 8
KOCHI: The UDF youth organisations will take out a march to legislative assembly on October 8 demanding that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tender an apology for his controversial remarks on Malappuram district. Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil said on Tuesday. “RSS has more branches (sakhas) inside the CPM. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has become the tongue of the RSS in the state where BJP has not even an MLA. If the newspaper published the remarks which he claimed he had not said, why did he not initiate any action against the newspaper”, asked Rahul at a press conference in Kochi.