Protest against Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in front of Secretariat turns violent

As allegations pile up against Vijayan for his alleged involvement in UAE consulate smuggling case, opposition parties mount protests

Even as Opposition parties’ protests against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan intensified for his alleged involvement in the UAE consulate smuggling case, fresh allegations have surfaced against the CM’s family.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a protest staged in front of the Secretariat here turned violent; the police had to use grenades to disperse the mob.

A section of media reported that the key accused in the case, Swapna Suresh, made allegations against Vijayan’s family in an affidavit submitted in a Kochi court, along with a request to record a statement under CrPC 164.

There was no reaction from the Chief Minister, or his office, in this regard.

The allegations were about Vijayan and his family’s personal meetings with Sharjah ruler Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi during the latter’s visit to Kerala in 2017. Suresh alleged that the CM sought personal favours for his family from the royal. She also stated in court that she had already given these statements to central agencies, but these were not investigated.

Congress leader V D Satheesan demanded that if Suresh’s allegations were false, why hadn’t the Chief Minister filed defamation suit against her.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister's office released footage of a previous press conference by Pinarayi, where he was telling that Suresh’s visits to his residence were only for official purposes.

Suresh, on Tuesday, had announced she would soon reveal details of her meetings at Chief Minister’s official residence that involved his family.

Meanwhile, protests by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party continued across the state on Wednesday, as well.