INDIA bloc partners of gold smugglers, says Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar

New Delhi, May 30: Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday hit out at the Congress and its INDIA bloc partner CPI(M) saying they are an "alliance of gold smugglers".

His reaction comes after an aide of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was detained in a gold smuggling case by the Customs department at the Delhi airport.

"First CM Secy involved in Gold smuggling. Now Cong MP 'aide'/PA detained for Gold smuggling. CPM and Cong - both INDI alliance partners - alliance of gold smuggler," the Union Minister wrote on X.

The Union Minister was referring to the gold smuggling scam unearthed in Kerala in 2020. M. Sivasankar, the then principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was arrested in the case.

On Thursday, the Customs Department said that an FIR had been filed in a case of smuggling of gold against a passenger and his accomplice, who carried an Aerodrome Entry permit ID which is a part of the protocol team for a Member of Parliament. The passenger had arrived at the Airport from Bangkok by flight TG-323 on Wednesday.