As the ruling CPI(M) asserted that the left government had nothing to hide in the gold smuggling case, which has rocked Kerala, the opposition UDF is gearing up to move a no confidence motion against it when the state assembly convenes for a day on July 27.
Extending the party's full support to the government, CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan lashed out at the opposition Congress and the BJP and said they were engaged in an anti-government campaign while "it was clear that it was a person related to BJP's BMS" who tried to release the diplomatic package from the Customs on July 5.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come under attack from the opposition which has demanded his resignation over alleged links of some officials in his office with the accused in the smuggling case.
About 30 kg of gold valued at Rs 15 crore was seized by customs sleuths from a "diplomaticbaggage" at the air cargo complex here on July 5.
Meanwhile, a day after he went missing, a gunman of Kerala police posted at the UAE consulatehere allegedly tried to end his life at nearby Thumba on Friday.
Police said Jay Ghosh allegedly slashed his wrist resulting in bleeding and he was rushed to a hospital where his condition wassaid to be stable.
In an apparent reference to the BJP and the Muslim League, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan dismissed the comment made by the BJP national president J P Nadda that the "colour of smuggled gold in Kerala was Red" and said it is now clear that the colour of gold was "saffron and green."
Kodiyeri also said the plan of the Congress to move a no confidence motion against the state government will be rejected by the people of the state.
"The party and the state government have got nothing to hide in the case.The chief minister himself had sought a probe by a central agency in the case.
The customs took a step and seized the smuggled gold through diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate attache.
But even before initiation of a probe by NIA, the Congress and the BJP have been trying to target and campaign against the state government and the chief minister," Balakrishnan told the media in an online press meet after a meeting of the CPI(M) state committee .
He alleged that the BJP, which was usurping governments in other states, was looking for other options in Kerala, where they are sure that they cannot "purchase MLAs".
"The BJP national president Nadda alleged that the colour of smuggled gold in Kerala is Red.But now, it's clear that the colour of smuggled gold is saffron and green," the senior CPI(M) leader said.
The state government had removed M Sivasankar as IT secretary even without any case being registered against him.
The two-member committee headed by the Chief secretary which went into the allegations relating to the appointment of Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the gold smuggling case, in the Space Park, found that Sivasankar had "made a reference" to the woman's appointment, which prima facie constitutes a violation of the All India Service Conduct Rules.
Swapna was earlier employed at the UAE consulate.
"Such association and frequent contacts with a foreign consulate official is also a violation of the rules" the committee had observed suggesting departmental action.
It was on the committee's recommendation that Sivasankar was suspended on Thursday.
In another development, the opposition UDF served a notice for a no confidence motion against the state government when the Assembly meets on July 27 for a day.
The Leader of opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said "people have lost faith in the government and there is widespread anger and apprehension about the alleged unprecedented corruption.
The IAS officer was suspended when the state government ran out of all options to save him. The move was after the Chief Minister understood that the probe will end up at the CMO," he told reporters.
Sivasankar was removed as Principal secretary and IT secretary after his alleged links with the accused in the gold scam surfaced.