Will Decide When To Appear Before Police: Tainted Kerala BJP President K Surendran On 'Hawala' Money Case

"Look, I have so many cases registered against me, so personally, I don't care for this, but the party views this as a serious one and will politically and legally tackle this," said Surendran

Kerala BJP President K Surendran. (Image: IANS)

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the Kerala Police reached state BJP President K. Surendran's residence and served a notice to him to appear before the team probing the case of the alleged hawala money that reached the state ahead of the April 6 Assembly polls, he said on Saturday that he will decide on what needs to be done next.

Speaking to the media at Kozhikode, Surendran said that he will make one thing very clear that he will not feign chest pain or produce a fake Covid positive certificate to escape (which a few CPI-M leaders reportedly did when notices were served on them).

"Am asked to appear before the police on Tuesday to examine me as a witness. I will decide whether I should go on Wednesday or Monday or Tuesday. In case I don't appear they can again give me a notice and then go ahead with a warrant and still If I don't appear, they can arrest me and that's what you ( media) want. Look, I have so many cases registered against me, so personally, I don't care for this, but the party views this as a serious one and will politically and legally tackle this," said Surendran.

"The CPI-M cadres are presently caught in the midst of numerous gold smuggling cases and it has now reached the state party headquarters in the state capital and to divert attention they will be up to all sorts of tricks and hence I am not the least worried about this notice," added Surendran.

What Is The Background?

Surendran's driver and an aide have already been questioned by the police. The BJP's Kerala unit was caught on the wrong foot when a person filed a complaint with the Thrissur rural police that an amount of Rs 25 lakh which he was carrying in his vehicle to pay as advance money for a land transaction was stolen from him on the Thrissur-Kodakara highway in April.

Ever since this row broke out, the national leadership is peeved especially when reports surfaced that tribal leader CK Janu's party JRP received Rs 10 lakh from Surendran, for returning to the BJP-led NDA. The revelation by JRP Treasurer Praseeda Azhikode was quickly denied by Surendran and Janu, who threatened to take legal action against her.

The CPI-M's acting Secretary and convenor of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), A. Vijayaraghavan, then alleged that this money was "Hawala" money being used by the BJP to fund its electioneering and the money was meant for party candidates. He also alleged that the BJP is responsible for the "Hawala" network and added that this was the first time such a huge money transfer has taken place in the state.

Vijayaraghavan then alleged that an amount of Rs 3.5 crore was allegedly swindled and that senior state leaders of the BJP were behind the deal. Soon the Kerala Police registered a case and by now, various lower and middle-level leaders of the BJP have been questioned and let off.

(With inputs from IANS)