Kerala CM misquoted on gold smuggling; CPI(M) slams 'false narratives'

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 5 (ANI): Amid the controversy surrounding Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's misattributed remarks on gold smuggling, the Communist Party of India's (Marxist) state secretary, M V Govindan, stated on Friday that the media is spreading "false narratives" regarding the issue.
M V Govindan said, "The Hindu itself expressed regret, and the issue should have ended there. However, a narrative was created claiming that the government has a PR agency. The fact is that the government has no such PR system in place. Despite the Chief Minister's clarification, some media outlets continue to cast doubt and spread false narratives. Even the Chief Minister's smile is criticised; whether he smiles or not, he faces criticism."
On September 30, a media report attributed remarks to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan concerning gold smuggling in the Malappuram district. The Chief Minister's office later issued a clarification, stating that the quotes had been wrongly attributed to him.
The CPM state secretary also mentioned that the issue of smuggling has escalated into a law and order problem, holding the central government responsible for allowing gold smuggling.
"The gold smuggling issue has become a law and order problem. At Karipur airport, it is the Customs department, under the Central Government, that facilitates gold smuggling. The Customs department is responsible for allowing gold to exit. The situation has reached a point where the police cannot remain uninvolved. There have been five deaths related to smuggling activities at Karipur, and it was the police who intervened. PV Anwar MLA's opposition to this is nothing but a baseless campaign."
He further claimed that there is an "intensified campaign" against the party and the Kerala government aimed at weakening the CPM.
"In Kerala, there is a highly intensified campaign against both the government and the party. In response, we will organise an equally strong counter-campaign. The party has passed a resolution outlining the current political situation and our stance. The state committee has approved this document. The attacks on the leadership are aimed at weakening the party. These attacks, including those against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, are part of a deliberate attempt to undermine his widespread public support." (ANI)