Members of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala took out marches in protest against the Customs department after the central agency named its leaders in connection with the dollar smuggling case. Declaring a war against the BJP-led union government over the Customs’ action in poll-bound Kerala, LDF protestors marched towards offices of the agency in Kerala.
Taking a serious note of the CPI(M)-led alliance's move to target it politically, the Customs alleged that a political party was trying to intimidate the investigation agency but made it clear that it will not work.
"A political party trying intimidation, will not work," Customs (Preventive) Commissioner Sumit Kumar wrote on his Facebook page. He also shared the notices of the LDF announcing march towards Customs offices in the state.
A political battle erupted in the state a day after the Customs, probing the gold smuggling case, claimed that prime accused Swapna Suresh made 'shocking revelations' against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and some ministers on dollar 'smuggling' involving UAE consulate officials.
"She has stated with clarity about smuggling of foreign currency at the instance of the Hon'ble chief minister and the Hon'ble Speaker with the help of the Consulate," the Customs said in a statement filed in the Kerala High Court.
Taking out a march towards Customs offices in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on Saturday, the CPI(M) alleged that the central agencies were acting as a political tool of the BJP-led union government.
The Left parties charged the central agencies with trying to 'tarnish' the image of their leaders by levelling baseless allegations against them at the time of polls in the state.
The Customs has become a propaganda machinery for the BJP and the Congress in the state, they said.
Hitting back at the CPI(M), the BJP said that the state's ruling party was trying to "befool the people of the state" over the issue.