JOIN USCongress urges Amit Shah to reveal details of 'mysterious death' in Kerala gold smuggling case
The opposition Congress in Kerala on Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to reveal the details of the alleged mysterious death in connection with the gold smuggling case and claimed that the CPI(M)-BJP nexus was the reason for him to hide the truth.
KPCC chief Mullappally Ramachandran said Shah should have the guts to disclose the details if any such death had occurred under mysterious circumstances as otherwise it would amount to hoodwinking the people of the state. Covering up the details known to Shah, exposes the saffron party's 'secret ties' with the Marxist party, he said. Echoing similar sentiments, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala said the war of words between Shah and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the incident was just a 'drama' and urged the latter to tell if such a death had indeed taken place. Former chief minister Oommen Chandy was of the view that it was notmutual questions by the leaders of the two parties which people wanted, but answers.
The Congress leaders made the scathing attack against the BJP and the CPI(M) while holding a joint press meet in New Delhi. While addressing a mass rally of party workers at Shangumugham here on Sunday, Shah had mentioned about a "mysterious death related to the gold smuggling case".
Slamming the Kerala CM, he also asked Vijayan to answer certain queries posed by him related to the matter. In a tit-for-tat, Vijayan on Monday described Shah as an "embodiment of communalism" and said it was the BJP leader who was jailed for the crimes of alleged "kidnapping and fake encounters". "
"Both the BJP and CPI(M) are trying to create a smokescreen among people. The speeches of Shah and Vijayan were part of a pre-planned script. Both the parties are aiming for a Congress-mukth Kerala," Ramachandran said.
The leaders also wanted to know why Vijayan was not being questioned by the investigating agencies over the mysterious death if Shah had information about the case. "It clearly shows the secret undercurrent between the BJP and CPI(M).
"The union home minister is responsible if the probe into the gold smuggling case stops midway," they added.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran dismissed as 'baseless' the allegations made by Vijayan against Shah.
Vijayan had referred to the deaths of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kauser Bi and her brother Tulsiram Prajapathi to hit back at Shah. He had also mentioned the death ofCBI court Judge B H Loya, who was hearing those cases.
"Court had discharged Shah in those cases. But, now Vijayan, a murder case accused, is now raising it," Surenderan said.
On Vijayan's description of Shah as an "embodiment of communalism", the BJP leader said the Left cadres were not even allowing the party to field a Hindu candidate in Ponnani in Muslim-dominated Malappuram district. Surendran was referring to a protest rally taken out by the local CPI(M) workers in Ponnai against the party leadership's reporteddecision to field CITU national secretary P Nandakumar in the constituency. The protesters wanted party district secretariat member, T M Siddique as candidate.