Kerala education mantri questioned by ED
Kerala higher education minister K.T. Jaleel was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday in connection with allegations regarding import of Quran boxes from the UAE using the diplomatic baggage route and seeking aid from UAE consulate for flood relief.
The minister was questioned at the Kochi ED office on Friday morning. The Central agency is examining whether the diplomatic baggage was used only for importing Quran boxes or was it misused for any other purpose. The minister’s questioning gains significance in the wake of demands from Opposition parties to examine his alleged links with the accused in the gold smuggling case. The gold smuggling case is currently being investigated by the NIA, the ED and the Customs.
Mr Jaleel, when contacted by media persons, denied that he was questioned by the ED. Later, he wrote a Facebook post which read: “The truth will win. Only the truth. If the whole world opposes, nothing else will happen.”
Jaleel’s questioning by the ED sparked protests by Congress and BJP workers in Thiruvananthapuram. The agitators led a march to the Kerala secretariat in the evening and raised slogans against Jaleel demanding his resignation. The police used mild force and water cannon to disperse the agitators.
The Congress and the BJP leaders have announced statewide agitation from Saturday to demand the minister’s resignation.
The opposition leader in Kerala Assembly Mr Ramesh Chennithala said Jaleel has no right to continue in office in the wake of questioning by the ED.
The agency is probing serious charges against the minister and he should quit on moral grounds, he told media persons on Friday.
However, CPM central leadership said there was no need for the minister to resign just on the basis of questioning by an agency. The agency might have called him for getting or corroborating certain information. The LDF state leadership said the minister is not an accused in any case and there are no grounds that warrant his resignation.
It may be recalled that Mr Jaleel is also facing allegations in connection with receiving aid from the UAE consulate. During the course of investigations into the gold smuggling case, investigating agency had found that he was in touch with key accused Swapna Sabu regarding distribution of flood relief kits worth `5 lakh. The kits were sponsored by the UAE consulate during Ramzan in 2019.
The ED is also examining whether the minister had violated the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 by accepting foreign aid without Centre’s permission.