THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The opposition led by Congress stepped up its attack against chief minister
Pinarayi Vijayan and his office over the alleged links M Sivasankar, former principal private secretary of the chief minister, has with Swapna Suresh the prime accused in the gold smuggling case.
Opposition leader
Ramesh Chennithala wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a CBI probe and investigation by the enforcement directorate in the gold smuggling and its alleged links with a higher official in the chief minister's office (CMO).
"Media reports of the influence of the smuggling cartel at the CMO and the nexus between politicians, government officials and the smugglers points to a grave situation warranting an investigation by an agency which has authority and freedom to act impartially,'' stated
Chennithala in the letter.
The opposition leader pointed out that the UAE government has condemned the misuse of the diplomatic channel and has made it clear that their staff have no role in it.
Speaking to the media, Chennithala said: "The chief minister had removed M Sivasankar from his office out of the fear that the investigation into the gold smuggling will reach up to him.'' With the removal of Sivasankar from the CMO, the allegations levelled by the opposition in the Sprinkler scam, in the mobile app developed for Bevco and in the e-mobility project have become true.