THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader VD Satheesan has said that the CPM and the government are afraid of the criminals in the gold smuggling case. While alleging that the CPM had used the criminals, Satheesan added that the party knew that if action was taken, the criminals would put the party on the defensive.

Satheesan also said that BJP state president K Surendran has an obligation to abide by the law. The notice was issued three months after the incident that took place on April 3. He also said that K Surendran's decision not to appear for questioning could not be accepted.

Satheesan said that the government should clarify why it had withheld information regarding the Covid deaths in the state for so long. "Covid deaths were not determined in the state as per the ICMR directive. The death tolls in the first and second waves of Covid should be re-examined," he said.

"The original list can be released within ten days if the collectors think so. The government has not even clarified to whom a complaint regarding Covid death must be handed over," he added.