ED thwarting Crime branch, judicial investigations: Chief Minister 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the Assembly that it was the Enforcement Directorate that was obstructing the Crime Branch and Judicial investigations announced by the state government in the gold smuggling case. He said that the investigations were announced when a voice message surfaced in the name of the accused in the gold smuggling alleging that they were forced to name those in the government in the gold smuggling case.

"However, the ED went to the Supreme Court and got a stay. The government will take legal action in this regard. These investigations shall not interfere with investigations by central agencies. Central agencies, including ED, are creating fictitious stories. In order to escape from cases including treason, the accused are making up stories as per the instructions of the investigating agencies and spreading them through the media. The opposition has the attitude of pretending to be with the prey and having fun with the predators. They are showing a double standard by opposing the ED in the case against Rahul Gandhi while supporting the ED's moves against the Kerala government. The opposition should not repeat the attempts to whitewash the accused in the House. It is not right to sponsor their arguments," the CM said.

"The Congress and the BJP tried to unleash riots in Kerala by taking up the false propaganda spread by the main accused in the gold smuggling case using the media. They are bringing up a strange partnership and conspiracy against the LDF government," he added.