Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: CPI(M) Accuses BJP Of Using Central Agencies To Intervene In State Politics

So far, the Communist Party in the state didn’t oppose the probe by investigating agencies in gold smuggling case, but it deviated from its stand, with the state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan saying the party will resist any move by the BJP to intervene in Kerala politics using central agencies.

Image: Twitter/@b_kodiyeri

New Delhi: After Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that the ongoing probe by the central agencies into gold smuggling case is heading in the right direction, the CPI(M) have taken a contrary view by lashed out at the BJP saying these agencies are being used to "intervene in Kerala politics". So far, the party communist party in the state didn’t oppose the probe by National Investigation Agency (NIA), Customs and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the gold smuggling case, however, the CPI-M deviated from its stand, with the state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan saying the party will resist any move by BJP to intervene in Kerala politics using central agencies. The alleged accusations come after the CBI took on the case probing kickbacks in Life Mission Project, on which the Kerala government had ordered a vigilance probe. "The decision of the Centre to hand over the probe into the Life Mission Project to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is politically motivated and unusual. BJP had sabotaged governments in Congress-ruled states using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Congress had opposed CBI strongly," Balakrishnan said, as per the news agency ANI report. Supporting his views, Balakrishnan added, "Mamata Banerjee has ordered the CBI not to probe cases in Bengal. When Chandrababu Naidu became the Chief Minister, he denied the power to CBI to investigate in Andhra Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress chief minister had taken a stand against CBI." The leader while addressing the media after CPM's state secretariat meeting, also mentioned about Rajasthan, saying the Congress chief minister also took a stand against the CBI and decided not to take up any case. Balakrishnan criticised the Congress party for taking the opposite stand in Kerala in contrary to the states in which they are in power. While accusing the ruling government in the Centre BJP, the leader said, "That Congress is now demanding CBI probe in Kerala on the Life Mission Project. If the intention is to overthrow the Kerala government through this, the people of Kerala will be able to oppose the move legally and politically. There will be many more interventions. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) can survive that and move forward. A political campaign will be organised for it. The aim of BJP and Congress is to sabotage LDF," Kodiyeri said. The Kerala government has ordered a vigilance probe on September 24 into the allegation of commission in connection with the Life Mission project at Wadakkanchery. As per the ANI report, the CBI has registered an FIR on Life Mission Project, a flagship project of the LDF government on the complaint of United Democratic Front (UDF) MLA Anil Akkare. While referring to the farm bills, the leader that 19 UDF MLAs in the Parliament have cheated farmers of the state. "BJP is trying to pass bills in Lok Sabha taking advantage of COVID pandemic. BJP is challenging federal principles. The new law in the agriculture sector is encroaching the state's rights," he said. "In Lok Sabha UDF MPs acted as the B team of BJP. There was no protest against the bill in Lok Sabha as what happened in Rajya Sabha. Why did Congress MPs not intervene into the issue like in Rajya Sabha?" he added.