Speaker M.B. Rajesh on Tuesday overruled a submission moved by Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan to get Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to state on the record the government’s stance on the United Democratic Front (UDF) demand for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the UAE diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case.
Mr. Rajesh’s refusal to entertain the UDF submission prompted an Opposition walkout. The UDF accused Mr. Vijayan of stonewalling questions about the “damning” episode that allegedly “involved top insiders” in his previous administration.
Mr. Satheesan moved the submission in view of Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar's purported statement that the Centre was fully seized of the alleged sidestepping of foreign affairs protocol at the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. He said Mr. Jaishankar had pointedly said that Central agencies were investigating the matter and "the truth shall triumph".
Legislative yardstick
Mr. Rajesh overruled the Opposition’s demand on the ground that the subject concerned the Centre. If he allowed the submission, it would be tantamount to setting a questionable legislative yardstick. Mr. Rajesh claimed there was no precedent for debating a Central subject with no primary concern for the State in the Assembly. The Assembly stood by the precedent.
The Speaker also concurred with Law Minister P. Rajeeve’s point of order wherein he doubted whether the Opposition had followed procedures.
Mr. Satheeshan dissented and took issue with the Speaker’s stance. He said Mr. Vijayan had cast doubt on the case’s merit by pointing out that the “handlers and movers” of contraband gold via the diplomatic channel remained veiled. Notably, the smuggling case prime suspect had raised severe and hitherto undisclosed allegations against the previous Left Democratic Front administration. Perhaps, a CBI inquiry would allay Mr. Vijayan’s doubts about the issue, he said.
Political storm
The political storm over the gold case continued to rage outside the Assembly. Mr. Vijayan doubted whether Mr. Jaishankar was playing politics with an eye on the next Lok Sabha election.
BJP State president K. Surendran said Mr. Vijayan was “irked” by Mr. Jaishankar’s Kerala visit. He alleged that Mr. Vijayan’s “discomfit” stemmed from the previous LDF administration’s “underhand interactions” with a foreign entity behind the Centre’s back.
Later at a press meeting, Mr. Jaishankar reiterated his position on the case.
The CPI(M) had recurrently blamed a Congress-BJP axis for dragging Mr. Vijayan and his family into the controversy on the questionable averments of a "discredited economic offender".
