With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark on the diplomatic gold smuggling case in his speech in Thrissur on Wednesday, targeting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Congress leaders have asked him why didn’t the Central government bring the state CMO under the scrutiny of probe agencies.

In an oblique reference to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office, Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday said that everyone knew which office was behind the gold smuggling and that there was no need to hide it from anyone.

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Opposition leader VD Satheesan on Saturday demanded to know why the Prime Minister spared the CMO, which according to him, was involved in the case.

“The Prime Minister and the BJP leadership in the state should reveal why the central agencies didn’t bring the office of the Chief Minister under the purview of the probe,” asked Satheesan.

Congress Kerala chief K Sudhakaran said the other day that instead of ordering a probe into the serious allegations against the Chief Minister’s office, Prime Minister Modi is protecting Pinarayi Vijayan like the apple of his eye.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala asked why the Prime Minister, who knew about the epicentre of the gold smuggling in Kerala, was not taking action against those behind the serious anti- national activity.

CPI-M state secretary MV Govindan said that it was the failure of the Central government agencies that resulted in sabotaging the inquiry into the case. He added that the Central government is protecting the gold smuggling accused

Meanwhile, there are reports that resentment is brewing among the BJP workers in Kerala for the stance taken by the Central probe agencies on the serious allegations against Pinarayi Vijayan and his family.

Swapna Suresh, one of the accused in the gold smuggling case, alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family members had links to the case.