India News | Don't Sell Country for Few Pieces of Gold: BJP to Kerala Govt
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The BJP hit out at the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala on Wednesday over a case of alleged gold smuggling and said this is not merely about money and smuggling, but also about "national security", and "for a few pieces of gold, please do not sell the country".
New Delhi, Jun 8 (PTI) The BJP hit out at the CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala on Wednesday over a case of alleged gold smuggling and said this is not merely about money and smuggling, but also about "national security", and "for a few pieces of gold, please do not sell the country".
Citing the allegations made by the prime accused in the case, Swapna Suresh, against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his family members and some top bureaucrats, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the chief minister should step down.
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"The Kerala chief minister should look into his conscience after these charges and step down from his post," Vadakkan said.
He further alleged that every attempt was made to sabotage the investigation carried out by agencies in the case.
"This is not about money and smuggling. This is about national security. For a few pieces of gold, please do not sell the country. This is not an ordinary crime, this is the height of corruption. A sitting chief minister and his family are allegedly pointed out by people involved in this case," Vadakkan said.
He also alleged that the Congress has a role in the cover-up operation of the case.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), the ED and the customs department conducted separate investigations into the gold-smuggling case that was registered following the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage of the UAE consulate at the Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020.
Several people, including former principal secretary to the Kerala chief minister M Sivasankar and another former employee of the UAE consulate here, Sarith P S, were arrested in connection with the case.
(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)