Gold smuggling remarks row: Kerala CM opposes Governor's summons

Kerala Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb and Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan will not appear before Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to explain Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's remarks regarding gold smuggling in Malappuram.

The Chief Minister has issued a letter to the Rajbhavan stating that summoning officials without informing the elected government is beyond the constitutional authority of the governor.

On Monday, Governor Arif Muhammad Khan summoned the Chief Secretary and DGP to Raj Bhavan for direct explanations on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's remarks regarding gold smuggling in Malappuram and those funds being used for anti-State and anti-national activities and on phone tapping allegations by PV Anwar MLA

The Governor had instructed them to appear at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday at 4 PM. This follows earlier requests for reports on the same issues, which were not submitted.

On September 30, a media report attributed remarks to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan concerning gold smuggling in the Malappuram district. The Chief Minister's office later issued a clarification, stating that the quotes had been wrongly attributed to him.

The Communist Party of India's (Marxist) state secretary, M V Govindan, stated on Friday that the media is spreading "false narratives" regarding the issue.

"The publication itself expressed regret, and the issue should have ended there. However, a narrative was created claiming that the government has a PR agency. The fact is that the government has no such PR system in place. Despite the Chief Minister's clarification, some media outlets continue to cast doubt and spread false narratives. Even the Chief Minister's smile is criticised; whether he smiles or not, he faces criticism," M V Govindan, CPI [M] Kerala secretary had said in a press conference.

"The gold smuggling issue has become a law and order problem. At Karipur airport, it is the Customs department, under the Central Government, that facilitates gold smuggling. The Customs department is responsible for allowing gold to exit. The situation has reached a point where the police cannot remain uninvolved. There have been five deaths related to smuggling activities at Karipur, and it was the police who intervened. PV Anwar MLA's opposition to this is nothing but a baseless campaign," he added.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), however, slammed the Chief Minister, saying that he had portrayed the Malappuram district, where the Muslim community constitutes a majority, in a poor light.