The Kerala gold smuggling case has been one of the major scandals revealed in 2020, and is still being probed by the NIA. Recently, Higher Education minister KT Jaleel was associated with the case when his links to Swapna Suresh a key accused in the Kerala Gold smuggling case emerged as red flags.
After being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate, the opposition in Kerala has been enraged. Congress and BJP workers staged protests on late Friday night through Saturday in Kerala demanding that KT Jaleel resign from his post.
Protests by the opposition over KT Jaleel's resignation
Minister KT Jaleel has become the subject of a political row in Kerala. The minister is being investigated on two accounts by the ED and Customs, one for his links to Swapna Suresh of the Kerala gold smuggling case. The other is that of his acceptance of UAE relief packages including food and Qurans during Ramzan, earlier this year.
Now, the members of BJP and Congress in Kerala are demanding that he resign from his post citing the allegations against him. The protests broke out on Saturday, following Jaleel's questioning before the ED on Friday. BJP workers and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers protested outside the Secretariat on late Friday night.
The protests turned violent as the police opened lathi-charge on the party workers. Effigies were also burnt during the protests. After the lathi-charge and tear gas shells, 12 workers were reported as injured in the protest. BJP's spokesperson B Gopalakrishnan was also one of the injured in the clash.
Congress workers organised protests in Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram as well. There were protests before Jaleel's residence as well.
CPI(M) defends Jaleel
Even amid the turbulence, CPI(M) said it stands firmly behind KT Jaleel. The CPI(M) in its press release had said that the central agencies like ED and the NIA were acting on the central government's demands, calling it a "political conspiracy."
The statement said, "The Congress which took a different stand at the Centre is toeing a different stand in Kerala is thereby proving that it is the B-team of the BJP. The CPM is not against any agencies questioning the accused. Here the agencies have not questioned the main accused who had sent the gold and the beneficiaries."
The CPI(M) went on to list the different instances wherein the opposition had been in similar situation. The opposition has, however, said firmly that the government has lost its standing and accused CM Pinarayi Vijayan of being scared of Jaleel.
It is yet to be seen what will come of the investigation and what will be Jaleel's stand on the matter.
