India News | Bureaucrat's Book Row: Kerala CM Vijayan Targets Media

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 9 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday took potshots at the media over senior bureaucrat M Sivasankar's recent book on his experience as an accused in the gold-smuggling case by saying some people felt offended after reading the narrative in the book about their role in the case.

Also Read | Gujarat: 41-Year-Old Man Strangled To Death By His Wife Over Alcohol Addiction In Surat.

"Sivasankar's book tells his experience from you (media). Sivasankar has spoken about what he had to face from the media. Let him say that," the Chief Minister said responding to questions on the book.

Also Read | Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ & Galaxy S22 Ultra Launched; First Sale on February 25, 2022.

Talking to reporters, he said Sivasankar has written certain things amounting to create resentment among those who targeted him.

"One is about the media and the other is about investigative agencies," Vijayan said, adding whether the media and central agencies had done consultations during investigation into the gold-smuggling can be said later.

Asked whether Sivasankar had sought permission from the government for writing the book, the Chief Minister said it was just a technical issue.

Pressed further, he said the government would look into it.

According to excerpts from the book titled 'Ashwathamavu Verum Oru Aana' (Ashwathama is just an elephant), Sivasankar claimed e had made no illegal intervention in the gold-smuggling and never made any undue favour for Swapna Suresh, the prime accused, in the case.

He alleged he was also targeted and hounded by the media.

Sivasankar mentioned in the book the charge that there was pressure on the investigating agencies to drag Chief Minister into the case and that he was arrested to make a statement against Vijayan.

Sivasankar, who was the former principal secretary to Vijayan and former IT Secretary, was suspended from service after his links with Suresh had surfaced.

He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Customs in the cases relating to the gold-smuggling through diplomatic channel, money trail and dollar smuggling.

His suspension was revoked recently.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)