THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister K T Jaleel supports opposition’s allegation that Swapna and her team might have smuggled gold in the packets of Quran imported from UAE via diplomatic channels. K T Jaleel changed his previous stand on the issue in the interview given to Reporter TV channel.

Earlier, opposition has alleged that former consulate official Swapna and her team might have smuggled gold. Probe agencies has already started probe in this direction. They are also probing on the reason why Jaleel transferred some of those imported Qurans in government vehicle.

Even though, Jaleel was grilled by probe agencies seeking his expalnation over the issue, he had always justified himself in public spaces over transferring quran in government vehicle. CPM also cooperated with him by raising a counter allegation that the opposition is trying to malign Quran.

In the interview, Jaleel has retracted from his earlier stand. He said that gold might have been smuggled through the Quran packets and he also asks why Customs has not found gold in those packets then? Opposition has earlier alleged that anti-national activities might have held under the garb of import of religious text and does the religious texts have to be brought through such dubious ways.

The minister’s U-turn comes when majority of the believers also hold the same views of the opposition. He further said that he have not accepted the Qurans on a personal basis and 31 packets still remain intact. “I supported the Quran distribution considering the diplomatic relations with a friendly country like UAE,” the minister said.

He also justified using C-apt’s vehicle for taking the Quran packages. He said he used the vehicle in order to save additional expenditure of government and he added such instances are not uncommon in the state.