Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has alleged that central investigative agencies have taken over the election campaigns in the state, where polling will be held on April 6.
"All I have to say to the BJP and the agencies that dance to their tunes is this - we are not the kind of people you are accustomed to dealing with. We are different. No matter what you do, this land will not blame us. Our lives are open books, and you will soon realise it," Mr Vijayan said today.
His strong comments came a day after customs officials told the Kerala High Court that the accused in a gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh, has made "shocking revelations" against the Chief Minister, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and some ministers.
Mr Vijayan said the customs commissioners' goal is to "defame" and "insult" the state government at a time when election to the assembly is near.
"Central Investigating agencies have taken over these election campaigns. After the election declaration, the intensity of attacks by the central agencies have increased. The customs commissioner has entered the election foray with the aim to insult cabinet ministers and the Speaker," Mr Vijayan said.
"During an election, the agencies are making political statements... the move by such agencies is only for the benefit of the opposition party and BJP," the Chief Minister said. "The BJP and Congress both want that elections must not be held in a free and fair manner," Mr Vijayan said.
The National Investigation Agency, the Enforcement Directorate and the customs are conducting separate investigations into the gold smuggling case that was busted at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5 last year.
Even as CPM took out protest marches outside the customs offices in Kerala, Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar wrote on Facebook, "A political party trying intimidation, will not work".
Amid protests, the opposition in Kerala - Congress-led United Democratic Front and the BJP - have been demanding the Chief Minister's resignation.
Mr Vijayan has also written to the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging that the model code of conduct is being "torpedoed at the instance of some Union Ministers", after the Enforcement Directorate filed a case against the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) - a key state body for funding infrastructure and development-related projects - for alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.
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