BJP demands CM Pinarayi Vijayan's resignation over his involvement in Kerala gold smuggling case.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala, accusing it of launching schemes that are aimed at profiteering ministers and Left leaders. The BJP's Kerala unit on Sunday launched a state-wide agitation against Vijayan over his alleged involvement in the gold smuggling case. The party raised the pitch for his resignation.
BJP's Kerala president K Surendran alleged that Vijayan is one of the richest CMs in the country and that his principal secretary M Sivasankar conspired to turn over land to private individuals which were considered a special economic zone for smart cities.
"The Kerala Cricket Association has embezzled lakhs and part of it has gone to the government and party leader," he said, adding that "all this needs to be probed".
BJP's national vice president AP Abdullakutty said that CM Vijayan should resign. "We are demanding the resignation of CM Pinarayi Vijayan who turned Kerala into a stronghold of traitors. Apart from the gold smuggling and the Life Mission, there have been many shocking frauds committed by M Sivasankar, who was the principal secretary to the Kerala CMO," he told news agency ANI.
He added that Kerala never witnessed such a failed CM since its formation in 1956.
The BJP on Sunday organised a state-wide protest to press for their demand seeking Vijayan's ouster.
Pinarayi Vijayan is under attack from the opposition ranks for the massive gold scandal in which his former principal secretary was allegedly involved. After the scam came to light, Vijayan had to sack his principal secretary M Sivasankar. According to reports, Sivasankar had links with Swapna Suresh, key accused in the case related to the attempt to smuggle gold through diplomatic baggage using the name of a person in the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
