Since the Customs agency had notified the Court about a top political leader being part of the dollar case — based on statements by prime accused PS Sarith and Swapna Suresh — there have been speculations abound on the identity. The agency had presented their findings in a sealed cover, and so the Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala had asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to reveal the name and the details.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran took a step further in today’s press meet and alleged Kerala assembly Speaker P Ramakrishnan of having direct relation in the gold smuggling case. This is especially concerning when the people of five districts — Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, and Idukki — are reaching the booths for casting their votes.
While everyone was speculating the identity of the mystery leader, Surendran had hinted yesterday that he was someone with “god’s name.” He added that the ministers and the Speaker are doing favours for the gold smuggling mafia using their position and power. He said that many of the Speaker’s international travels are questionable.
Surendran’s comments have invited criticism from the CPM quarters, as the party’s stand-in Secretary A Vijayaraghavan had alleged that Surendran is trying to defame the Assembly Speaker. “How did he [K Surendran] receive the contents of the statement submitted to the Court in a sealed cover? He should reveal his source,” said Vijayaraghavan.
Meanwhile, other BJP leaders are wary about Surendran’s allegations, and they have decided to keep a distance. When asked about the issue, Union Minister V Muraleedharan had said that he doesn’t know anything about Surendran’s claims and that only the latter knows about the “source” of his statements.
