CM Pinarayi slams UDF for dragging the Quran into gold smuggling row

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday reiterated his party's stance that the opposition in Kerala was using the Holy Quran to attack his government.

At a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan said there was no need to link the religious text to the gold smuggling controversy.

He said the Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and Muslim League leaders should do a self introspection over their allegations that gold was smuggled under the cover of the Quran.

The chief minister was reacting to a question on CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan's statement that the protests seeking minister K T Jaleel's resignation were an insult to the Quran.

"The UAE Consulate sought the help of Jaleel to distribute the Holy Quran and Ramadan kits and Jaleel was ready to help them. The BJP and the RSS portrayed it as gold smuggling under the cover of the Quran. They have certain intention behind such a campaign. Following that, UDF convener filed a complaint with the prime minister. On what basis did the UDF raise the allegation? Why did they drag the religious text into the controversy," Vijayan asked.

Asked about Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty's allegation that the CPM was using the Quran as a shield to overcome the charges of gold smuggling, Vijayan said it was League's leaders who said gold was smuggled along with the Quran. "They should have been careful with their words. They should not have insulted the holy text," he said.

"The League and Congress repeated what the RSS said about the Quran. They wanted to defame the government. But the religious text should not have been used for that. The feelings of those who respect the Quran have turned against the UDF. It would be better if they realise it. The UDF should have the sincerity to confess that igniting a controversy over religious affairs was a mistake," he said.