Customs' job looks after smuggling cases, not MEA: Muraleedharan hits back at Vijayan

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Sunday hit out at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the latter alleged that smuggling increased after he was appointed, saying that it is the job of the Customs department which comes under Finance Ministry to take care of such matters.

"The Chief Minister said that smuggling increased after I became MoS in External Affairs, but he should know that it is not my job to look into smuggling cases. This is the job of Customs', which comes under the Union Finance Ministry."

"The Finance Ministry is hell-bent on tacking such matters," he added.

Muraleedharan also said that the CM should have known that the head of the agency would submit a counter to a notice served in the ongoing smuggling case in the state

"Without verification, he (Chief Minister Vijayan) asked why Customs filed an affidavit. He should know that when the Customs superintendent is served notice, it is natural that the head of that agency will submit a counter," Muraleedharan said.

Earlier on Saturday, Kerala Vijayan had launched a scathing attack on the central investigation agencies alleging that they have voluntarily taken over the Assembly election campaign for the BJP and Congress.

Addressing a press conference here, Vijayan said, "The aggression of 'some investigation agencies' has intensified since the announcement of the Assembly elections. The latest examples of this are the moves by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and the statement that Customs filed before the High Court."

Responding to this, Muraleedharan said, "We have our capacity. Investigating agencies need not campaign for BJP.

( With inputs from ANI )