Widespread protests in Kerala, after CM Vijayan links gold smuggling to anti-national activities
Malappuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's recent comments regarding the alleged use of funds obtained through gold smuggling in Malappuram for anti-national activities have triggered significant outrage and protests across the district. During an interview with The Hindu, Vijayan claimed that over the past five years, 150 kg of gold and hawala money worth ₹123 crores had been seized in Malappuram, suggesting that these funds were being utilized for anti state and anti national purposes. His assertion that Malappuram is becoming a centre for such activities was met with sharp criticism from various political and social organizations.
In response to the backlash, Vijayan's office sent a letter to The Hindu, clarifying that the Chief Minister did not specify any region or use the term "anti-national" during the interview. The letter, issued by the Chief Minister’s Press Secretary, emphasised that the remarks had been misinterpreted and do not reflect the Chief Minister's or the state government's official position. The letter also called for a clarification from the newspaper to rectify the perceived misrepresentation of the Chief Minister's statements.
The controversy has fueled widespread protests in Malappuram and across the state, with various groups expressing their discontent.
In response to the Chief Minister's comments, P.V. Anwar, an MLA from Nilambur, condemned the reference to Malappuram as an attempt to label the district as a hub of criminal activity. He alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership in Malappuram is complicit in this portrayal.
Opposition leader V.D. Satheesan criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for suggesting that funds from gold smuggling in Malappuram are linked to seditious activities, alleging that the remarks aim to appease Sangh Parivar loyalists in Delhi. Satheesan demanded clarity on the basis of the Chief Minister's statement and questioned the lack of action from the state government and police regarding alleged anti-national activities tied to gold smuggling. He further added that if the allegations are true, it raises serious concerns about the Home Department's failures under the Chief Minister's control, while also highlighting past accusations against the government for facilitating gold scams.
Governor Arif Muhammad Khan has requested a report regarding Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's claims that funds from gold smuggling in Malappuram are being used for treasonous activities. The Governor, speaking to reporters, raised questions as to why the Chief Minister had not acted on this serious issue despite being aware of the ongoing gold smuggling.
V.S. Joy, the President of the Malappuram District Congress Committee led calls for the Chief Minister to retract his statements and apologize, arguing that such assertions damage the integrity of the Chief Minister's office and are politically motivated. "These baseless claims undermine the reputation of Malappuram and its people," Joy stated.
Organisations across the political spectrum have united against Vijayan's remarks. The Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation, condemned the Chief Minister's comments and demanded that Vijayan provide credible evidence for his allegations. SKSSF also criticised the labeling of criminal activities as unique to Malappuram, which it deemed misleading and harmful to the district's reputation.
The Kerala Muslim Jamaat District Committee urged officials including CM Pinarayi Vijayan to retract their statements, highlighting the region's longstanding tradition of harmony and community solidarity.
The Muslim Youth League organized a series of protests, including road blockades in Malappuram, to voice their opposition to the Chief Minister's comments. Leaders from the Youth League asserted that Vijayan's remarks do not accurately represent the character of Malappuram and its diverse population.
Minister P.A. Muhammad Riaz has addressed the controversy surrounding Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's remarks linking gold smuggling in Malappuram to anti national activities. Riaz said that attempts to depict the Chief Minister as sympathetic to the BJP are misguided, asserting that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has made significant contributions to Malappuram over the past eight years.
Riaz stated, “The Chief Minister has the trust of the anti-BJP majority in Kerala. Those seeking to undermine this unity will find it difficult.” He criticized the United Democratic Front (UDF), claiming that it relies on corruption to gain power. He further accused the Jamaat-e-Islami of fostering minority communalism in Kerala while acting as a sleeper cell of the UDF.
The Chief Minister addressed the issue of gold and black money smuggling through Karipur airport while denying allegations made against him by MLA PV Anwar for the first time. Anwar responded, asserting that this shows the CPM's anti-minority stance. New controversy has broken out after a recent interview with The Hindu, in which the Chief Minister reiterated his remarks regarding gold smuggling in Malappuram.
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Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
