Kerala gold smuggling case: Pinarayi Vijayan blocking probe, alleges BJP

With Opposition parties in Kerala holding protests to seek his resignation, the Chief Minister has been under fire ever since the accused in the case, Swapna Suresh, alleged he took currency out of the country with the help of a diplomat from the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016.

Passengers inside an aeroplane protest against Pinarayi Vijayan, asking him to resign. This peculiar mode of protest is likely the first of its kind India has seen. Judging by the fury of the public, it’s better the corrupt CM resigns now.#GoldSmugglingCase #PinarayiVijayan pic.twitter.com/3qvz7UTYNY

— Pratheesh Viswanath (@pratheesh_Hind) June 13, 2022

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Monday, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said soon after the scam was exposed in 2020, Vijayan had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the case had “serious implications” for the nation. He said Vijayan had demanded a probe into the scandal by the Centre and even offered his government’s help to “unravel every link”. “But now he is using the state police to block central agencies who have the expertise to investigate the case,” Chandrasekar said.

Union Minister V Muraleedharan asked Vijayan to come clean and ensure free and fair probe.

Vijayan has dismissed the reports and called it “propaganda”.