The tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the LDF government in Kerala escalated further as Governor Arf Mohammed Khan raked up gold smuggling controversy to target chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Governor Khan said though he has never interfered earlier, the alleged “patronising” of smuggling activities by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and people close to the CM are grounds enough for him to interfere now.

“I have never interfered. But now I see all smuggling activities are patronized by the office of the Chief Minister (CMO). But if the state government, the CMO, and the people close to CM are involved in smuggling activities, definitely there are grounds for me to interfere,” the governor told media persons in New Delhi.

By raking up the diplomatic gold smuggling and the alleged involvement of the CM’s office in it, Khan has made the hardest attack against the government and the chief minister, ever since the clash between the governor and the LDF government started. By this, the governor has put the office of the chief minister under the shadow of suspicion.

He also referred to Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the gold smuggling case, and questioned her appointment to a government post.

“Who invited the woman to the hill station? Didn’t the controversial woman pay visit to Chief Minister’s office? Suspension of the Chief Minister’s former principal secretary is also being discussed by the public,” he added.

“I don’t understand how the CM’s office is connected with all the illegal actions in the state,” he further sad

Speaking at a convention organized here against the moves of the governor in higher education by  the Education Protection Committee, Chief minister Vijayan had launched an all-out attack against the governor on Wednesday alleging that he was trying to implement RSS agenda in  the state’s universities,
Responding to this, Khan said, “They (Left government, CM) are saying I am doing this (action against VCs) to bring RSS people. If I have nominated even one person, not just of RSS, any person, on my own using my authority, then I will resign. Will he (CM) be able to resign if he is not able to prove it?”
“People sitting in the CMO dictate Kannur University VC to appoint their relatives — underqualified and unqualified,” he added.