A day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned Kerala Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel for his role in the gold smuggling case, the CPI(M) on Friday gave a communal twist to the investigation and claimed that the Opposition’s protest against the minister was an “anti-Quran” agitation.
According to the reports, CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, in his weekly column in party daily Deshabhimani, has referred to the protest against the Kerala Communist government and minister KT Jaleel as an “anti-Quran agitation”.
In the article, the CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan defended minister Jaleel, who is an accused in the ongoing National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation into the gold smuggling case. The investigations had revealed that KT Jaleel had illegally imported the Quran from UAE with the help of main accused Swapna Suresh, bypassing protocol norms.
The investigating agencies have suspected the presence of gold in these consignments as key accused Swapna Suresh was also aware of these shipments.
“It is not a criminal act to distribute a few copies of the holy book as requested by the UAE consulate in the state capital. The minister is in charge of the Waqf Board also. The Muslim League is adding fuel to the fire ignited by the Sangh Parivar,” he said.
IUML, Congress joining hands with RSS to launch ‘anti-Quran’ agitation, says Kodiyeri Balakrishnan
Attacking the opposition parties for demanding the resignation of the Kerala Minister, Balakrishnan said that the protests are part of a huge political conspiracy against the government. He claimed that the opposition parties were disrespecting the Quran and accused Congress, Muslim League of joining hands with the RSS to launch, to what he referred to as ‘anti-Quran’ agitation.
“IUML is adding fire to the anti-Quran agitation of RSS. Congress will also be with IUML in that act. We are opposing the agitation against Quran on the ground that no religious text should become subject of ridicule,” he wrote.
Opposition attacks Communist party of playing ‘communal card’
Following the attempts by the Communist party to give a communal twist to the gold scam, the opposition parties have rejected Balakrishnan’s charges and accused the LDF of communalising the issue.
Responding to Balakrishnan’s ‘anti-Quran’ tirade, Congress state president Mullappally Ramachandran said that the government has lost its face and using the Quran for political ends is dangerous.
IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty said the CPI(M) and Jaleel should answer to the allegations related to the gold smuggling. BJP state chief K Surendran said CPI(M) is trying to project Jaleel as the symbol of a religion and said that the Communist party was communalising the issue.
Kerala Gold Smuggling case: Link of accused Swapna Suresh with Kerala’s Higher Education minister KT Jaleel had surfaced
Last month the call details of main accused Swapna Suresh had revealed that the accused was in regular touch with Kerala’s Higher Education minister KT Jaleel.
According to the Call Detail Record (CDR), KT Jaleel had made several calls to Swapna Suresh. The details revealed that the minister and Suresh exchanged several calls in the month of May and June. Jaleel’s two personal staff members were also reportedly in touch with Suresh.