Following Swapna Suresh’s damning allegations against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the gold scam case, the state Congress wing held ‘Biryani’ protests in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on Thursday, calling for the CM’s resignation.
Interestingly, the Congress workers brought in huge Biryani vessels filled with small rectangular boxes covered with gold paper to resemble gold bars. This was symbolic as Swapna Suresh, the kingpin of the Kerala Gold scam, had revealed on Tuesday that biryani vessels used to reach Pinarayi Vijayan’s official residence from the UAE Consular general’s house which contained “metal-like” objects.
Later, in Kochi, a similar demonstration took place.
The protest organised by the members of Kerala Congress Mahila Wing and the Kerala Congress Youth Wing in Kerala’s capital resulted in a scuffle between party workers and the state police. The police used water cannons on the Congress workers as they jumped over and broke barricades, in their attempt to march ahead with their protest.
Kerala Congress took to Twitter to share visuals of the protest and the subsequent scuffle between them and the state police.
They also shared visuals where their workers were seen shouting anti-CM Pinarayi Vijayan slogans and demanding his resignation from the post of the CM of Kerala.
In some visuals shared online, scores of Mahila Congress workers could also be seen doing the same.
According to reports, prior to the scuffle that broke out between the state authorities and members of the state wing of the Youth Congress, the members of the Congress Mahila wing took a jibe at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by organising the “Briyani challenge” in response to alleged reports that Briyani vessels containing gold were sent to the CM’s residence. They also set fire to the Kerala chief minister’s effigy.
Kerela CM Pinarayi Vijayan responds to the allegation levelled at him by Swapna Suresh
Responding to the allegations levelled at him by Suresh, CM Vijayan said, “unsubstantiated allegations have been made from some quarters for narrow political reasons against us. This is part of some political agenda. Such agendas are rejected by the people. After a break, the old things are repeated by the defendant in the case. There is not even a shred of facts in it.” The CM further claimed that the ‘false allegations’ were part of a larger conspiracy.
CPI(M) leader files complaint against allegations made by Swapna Suresh
Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against Swapna Suresh by the Thiruvananthapuram cantonment police, after she made some explosive allegations against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and some of his close family members and colleagues in the gold scam.
Two days after Suresh revealed CM’s alleged involvement in the gold scam, former Kerala minister and CPI(M) leader KT Jaleel on Wednesday filed a police complaint against allegations levelled by Kerala gold smuggling case prime accused Swapna Suresh.
According to Jaleel, there is a conspiracy hatched by Swapna Suresh and former MLA PC George and BJP.
“Allegations against me are baseless. This is a BJP and UDF conspiracy. They are trying to tarnish the image of the existing government. This conspiracy should be investigated,” said Jaleel.
Swapna Suresh makes damning allegations against Kerala CM in the Gold scam case
Notably, Swapna Suresh, one of the prime accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, said on Monday that she has a lot to reveal about the case but alleged a threat to her life. She has raised serious allegations against CM Pinaryi Vijayan and his family. Swapna Suresh had gone to record her secret statement under Section 164 before a Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kochi. The statement recording continued on Tuesday.
While speaking to reporters after her deposition before the court on Tuesday, Swapna alleged that a bag containing money was sent to CM Vijayan when he was in Dubai in 2016.
Swapna Suresh had further added that the money was detected after the luggage was scanned as part of the consulate’s protocol. She, however, refrained from disclosing which country’s currency was there in the bag.
She further said that on M Sivsankar’s orders, biryani vessels containing heavy metals were transported from the consulate general’s house to the Cliff House, the CM’s official residence. “These vessels had heavy objects other than biryani. I can’t reveal everything right now. I will make further revelations when the time is right,” she added.