Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Tuesday said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should respond to the allegations raised in connection with the gold smuggling centred around Calicut International Airport at Karipur.
Talking to media persons in Palakkad, Governor Khan said that he plans to seek a report from the government on the actions taken by the government against the gold smugglers, who have indulged in anti-national activities.
“The Chief Minister should come forward and tell us what action has been taken by the government against the gold smugglers, who have indulged in anti-national activities,” said Khan.
“I want to know what actions have been taken, and how long the authorities have been aware of this issue. Is it a recent discovery, or have they known for some time,” he asked.
The Governor’s remarks came following Chief Minister Vijayan’s interview with an English daily in which he said that money from gold smuggling through Karipur International Airport in Malappuram district and hawala transactions was used for “anti-state” and “anti-national activities.”
During an interview with the national daily, Chief Minister Vijayan claimed that over the past five years, 150 kg of gold and hawala money worth Rs 123 crore had been seized in Malappuram, suggesting that these funds were being utilized for anti-state and anti-national purposes.