Cong launches protests demanding CM's resignation in gold smuggling case

Inaugurating the protest at Malayankeezhunear here, the Leader of opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said: "The Chief Minister who praises and protects his former principal secretary, who has been aiding international smuggling agencies, has no right to continue in the post. We demand that he and the government resign." He also alleged that more than 100 illegal appointments were made in the IT department.

The Congress on Thursday continued to attack Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the gold smuggling case and launched statewide protests raising various allegations against the IT department besides demanding his resignation. On the other hand, BJP spokesperson B Gopalakrishnan sought to target the Congress, alleging that it was Congress leader K C Venugopal who had recommended the absconding woman accused in the case, for a job in a foreign consulate.

Venugopal has rejected the charges. Inaugurating the protest at Malayankeezhunear here, the Leader of opposition in the Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said: "The Chief Minister who praises and protects his former principal secretary, who has been aiding international smuggling agencies, has no right to continue in the post.

We demand that he and the government resign." He also alleged that more than 100 illegal appointments were made in the IT department. "Oneladywith American citizenship is working with the startup mission. Her name is in the voter's list there.

All the backdoor appointments made by the former principalsecretary is known to the CM. The government should explain everything," Chennithala said. BJP state chief K Surendran claimed Vijayan was fooling the people of the State.

"The Chief Minister is fooling the people of the state by sending letters to the Prime Minister. The woman involved in the case is an intermediaryf the CPI(M) in the Gulf region," Surendran alleged.

However, he refused to comment on alleged links of an absconding accused with the BJP. Vijayan had on Wednesday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his "intervention for an effective investigation" into the gold seizure.

With the Congress and BJP stepping up their attack,the left government on Tuesday removed M Sivasankar, who was the secretary to the Chief Minister and the IT Principal secretary, after the opposition targeted him for the appointment of a woman official of the IT department, alleged to be the 'kingpin' and who was being investigated by the Crime Branch in another case. According to sources,Central agencies have sought the assistance of Kerala police in finding out the whereabouts of the absconding woman, a former employee of a foreign country's consulate in the state, wanted in connection with the case.

The gold, weighing over 30kg, was seized from a "diplomatic baggage" that had landed by air cargo at Thiruvananthapuram international Airport recently. The Customs department has said it suspected a smuggling syndicate had misused the name of a person who enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Official sources have said a former employee of the consulate of a foreign country in Kerala was being questioned by the Customs in connection with the seizure .PTI RRT BN WELCOME BN WELCOME.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)