Pinarayi Vijayan has lost the moral right to continue, K Surendran said.
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala):
The head of the Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), K Surendran, on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan following the submission of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to the special tribunal of the NIA, Kochi, where he suspected the accused was highly publicized. The gold smuggling case has links to Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company.
Speaking to ANI, K Surendran claimed that the party’s position in the high-profile gold smuggling case was confirmed and alleged that the accused’s relationship with Company D and ISIS was established. .
“The accused’s relationship in the gold smuggling case with Company D and ISIS was established in the NIA report. The BJP’s position has been confirmed in this case. The state government protects smugglers. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has lost the moral rights to continue, therefore we demand that he immediately resign from the post of Chief Minister of Kerala, ”K Surendran told ANI.
Meanwhile, the main court in Kochi rejected the bail application of the accused Sandeep Nair in the gold smuggling case registered by the Directorate of Execution (ED). Defendants Swapna Suresh and Sarith PS have withdrawn their bail applications submitted to the NIA Special Court in Kochi.
Earlier today, the Kerala High Court ordered the Law Enforcement Directorate not to arrest Mr Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary in the Office of the Chief Minister of Kerala, until October 23 in relation to the gold smuggling case.
At the request of the additional Solicitor General seeking time to file a response in the case, the High Court adjourned the hearing on the matter until October 23 and ordered that Mr Sivasankar not be arrested until then.
Mr. Sivasankar had filed the request for interim release after the ED submitted a charge sheet in the case to the PMLA Special Court. He argued that the central agency’s indictment sheet contained allegations and charges against him, causing him to fear arrest.
The case, which is currently under review by the ED, NIA and the customs service, concerns the smuggling of gold into the state through diplomatic channels.
The case came to light after 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore smuggled in a camouflaged shipment after diplomatic baggage was destroyed by customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5.
