Thiruvananthapuram, June 10 (BPNS)

The Kerala unit of the CPM is on the defensive after the gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh released an audio tape at Palakkad on Friday. In the tape Swapna is heard speaking to a person, Shaj Kiran who was a former journalist and who convinces her that he was close to both Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM state secretary and Politburo member, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Shaj ,who is also a former journalist is heard saying that both Pinarayi and Kodiyeri were using the Believers Church to stash their money abroad and funds were being transferred to the United States with the help of this Chruch.

He is also heard assuring Swapna that if she cooperates with him, then he would support in her getting relieved of the cases and also help in lifting her travel ban.

CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who met the media at the party Kerala state headquarters, AKG centre said that he has never seen Shaj Kiran and does not know him. The CPM leader also said that there was a planned move to make the Chief Minister resign and that this was a move scripted from some other areas. He said that the CPM and the LDF would conduct awarness programmes across the state against this attack on the CPM and the Chief Minister.

However sources in the CPM told BPNS that the Chief Minister seems to be rattled over the revelations even though the party was trying to put up a brave front on the exterior. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has not spoken to the media ever since Swapna had deposed before the magistrate under Section 164 and addressed the media accusing the Chief Minister of having transferred currency notes to the United Arab Emirates. The gold smuggling case accused had also alleged that big vessels of Biriyani were sent from the residence of the then UAE Council general’s residence in the state capital to the Chief Minister’s residence, Cliff house. The woman had also alleged that heavy metal objects were also filled in the Biriyani vessels.