Judicial probe against Central agencies unfortunate, says Rajnath Singh

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the Kerala government's decision to recommend a judicial inquiry against central probe agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the gold and dollar smuggling cases, was "unfortunate" and amounts to challenging the federal structure of the Constitution.

Singh, who is in Kerala to campaignfor the BJP-NDA candidates in the April 6 Assembly polls, also said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented only after taking all the communities into confidence.

The UCC is there in the BJP manifesto.

Also Read | Kerala government decides to conduct judicial probe against central agencies ahead of Assembly polls

"We will take all the communities into confidence and go forward. We are firm on that decision", Singh told reportershere.

On the rising fuel prices, he said the Centre had requested all the states to reduce the state duty on petrol.

On the smuggling cases, he said: "I came to know that the case is being probed by the ED and then a judicial commission has been appointed against the central agency. It's very unfortunate. This means the state government is challenging the federal structure of the Constitution. This is 100 per cent against the constitution."

The CPI(M)-led LDF government had recently decided to order a judicial enquiry against the central agencies, including ED, for allegedly "derailing the probe" in the gold smuggling and dollar scams, days after the Kerala Crime Branch registered an FIR against some ED officials.

While the gold scam relates to the seizure of about 30 kg gold worth Rs 14.82 crore from a diplomatic baggage at Thiruvananthapuram Internationalairport in July 2020, the dollar smuggling case pertains to alleged smuggling of $1,90,000 (equivalent to Rs1.30 crore) by a former finance head of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram to Muscat in Oman.

Besides the ED, the Customs and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are also inquiring into the scams.

Attacking both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), Singh said even with 100 per cent literacy, Kerala is behind other states in various sectors.

Also Read | Amit Shah targets Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan over gold smuggling case in poll rally

"The main reason is that even after seven decades after independence, the state cannot come out of the clutches of LDF and UDF. The state needs a new political alternative and only BJP can give it. UDF and LDF are playing friendly matches. Either the LDF or the UDF win the match but the people are getting defeated. In Kerala the Congress and communists are fighting but 2,000 km away, they are fighting us together," Singh said.

Both the fronts were giving false promises and failed to understand the aspiration of the people of Kerala.

The LDF should come with an action taken report on their promises rather than giving false hope to the people, he said, adding the appeasement policies of the two fronts had taken Kerala away from the path of development.

Theminister also attacked senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said he always assures to form a separate ministry for fishermen in Delhi.

"Perhaps he doesn't know that Modi ji has already formed a ministry back in 2019," Singh said.

The Union Minister, who held a road show at Varkala this morning, will be campaigning across Kottayam, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts.