UDF Criticizes CM Vijayan Over Malappuram Remarks

The Congress-led UDF in Kerala has sharply criticized Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for attributing gold smuggling and hawala transactions in Malappuram District to anti-national activities. Senior Congress leaders and IUML have demanded clarification and accountability from Vijayan, while the USDF accuses him of targeting Malappuram for political reasons.

The Congress-led UDF in Kerala on Monday sharply criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for comments he allegedly made about Malappuram District in relation to gold smuggling and hawala transactions, during an interview with an English daily.

The Congress and its ally the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) lashed out at Vijayan, who, in the interview, said money from gold smuggling through Karipur International Airport at Malappuram district and hawala transactions was used for ''anti-state'' and ''anti-national activities.'' Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala asked Vijayan not to target the people of Malappuram to settle his scores with Nilambur MLA P V Anvar. Nilambur constituency is in Malappuram district.

Anvar, who was earlier backed by the Left alliance, has been locking horns with the ruling CPI (M) and Vijayan for the past few weeks over various issues, which has led to the communist party cutting ties with him.

Anvar has been accusing ADGP (Law and Order), M R Ajithkumar and other senior police officials of not following proper procedure while seizing gold illegally brought from abroad.

Chennithala asked Vijayan not to target the people of Malappuram for his political rivalry against Anvar. ''Just because the Karipur airport is in Malappuram District, all the gold smuggled through there is not for criminals from the district'', Chennithala said.

IUML Kerala State General Secretary, P M A Salam, told the media that the Chief Minister should not have insulted the people of the district.

''The CM who is in charge of the home department is claiming that so many gold smuggling cases were registered and about the hawala transactions. So it shows his inefficiency,'' Salam said.

He asked the CM to release the details of the cases, FIRs, trials, and convictions in the said cases.

He claimed most of them were apprehended from the airport from Kannur and many cases were registered in that regard.

Why is he blaming Malappuram, Salam asked.

In response to a question on the UDF allegation that Vijayan has gone soft on the RSS, the Chief Minister said in the interview that the UDF was deliberately creating confusion as the minority groups were supporting the LDF.

Vijayan said the UDF was deliberately trying to create confusion, levelling false allegations that the Left was soft on the RSS and said it was campaign aimed at political gain. The IUML on Monday demanded that the Chief Minister should answer the allegations raised by Anvar.

Meanwhile, Anvar, in a public meeting at Kozhikode, alleged Vijayan had said that Malappuram district is the biggest crime centre in the state. He said the gold smuggled through the airport can go to any place in Kerala, but just because the airport is in Malappuram, the district is being blamed.

(With inputs from agencies.)