As Union Home Minister Amit Shah levelled allegations against Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in the gold smuggling case, our CM gave a sharp retort in response. “No lesson needed from Amit Shah” was his reply to Amit Shah, who had remarked that the Kerala CM had no moral right to continue in power due to his alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case.
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The CM retaliated to the comment by pointing out that the Home Minister must keep in mind his own past before accusing anyone else of frivolous charges. “I never spent months together in jail. People who make frivolous charges should see their past also,” said Pinarayi Vijayan, referring to Shah’s jail time in Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi encounter cases in 2005. Vijayan talked of Shah’s involvement in the Gujarat riots, pointing to him being a personification of communalism. He also added that Kerala is not like a North Indian State and will not fall for this ‘divisive policy’ of Shah.
Swapna Suresh had confessed that Pinarayi Vijayan was involved along with three ministers and the assembly speaker in the gold smuggling case. But for the first time, the Customs department has made an allegation against the Chief Minister. The case then becomes complicated as a woman civil police officer (WCPO) Siji Vijayan says in her statement that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had forced Swapna Suresh to name the Chief Minister.
Pinarayi Vijayan posed his own questions in response to the allegations. “The case surfaced in July. What did the Customs do in eight months? How some of the airports have turned into smuggling hubs and why central agencies failed to nab real people who are kingpins of the thriving racket?” he asked. As Amit Shah remarks that the Kerala CM has no moral right to continue in power for his involvement in the case, Pinarayi Vijayan assures that Kerala will not fall apart on this attempt of creating division.
