UDF, BJP peddling lies to target govt over Kerala gold smuggling case: Tourism Minister

Kochi (Kerala) [India], Aug 18 : Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Tuesday accused the opposition parties -- UDF and BJP -- in the state of peddling lies to target Kerala government over the gold smuggling case.
"The UDF and BJP are using gold smuggling case to target Kerala Government. For this, opposition on a daily basis is peddling lies. When it comes to misleading people and targeting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Congress and BJP are like Siamese twins," Surendran told reporters.
He accused the opposition parties of raising petty political allegations over the issue.
"The gold smuggling case, is a very serious one. The NIA itself said that the money from it was used for terror funding. But why the opposition is not mentioning about it at all? Instead they are raising petty political allegations at daily press meets," Surendran said.
The opposition parties in the state have been targetting the CPI(M) government on the Kerala gold smuggling case over the alleged close contact of M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister's Office (CMO), with one of the key accused in the matter.
The matter, which pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels, had come to light after 30 kilograms of gold worth Rs 14.82 crores, smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage, was busted by customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5.