Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the person detained in a gold smuggling case at Delhi airport was a former member of his staff who was rendering part-time service in airport facilitation assistance. The Thiruvananthapuram MP, however, said that he doesn't "condone any alleged wrongdoing".
Shiv Kumar Prasad, who was among two persons detained at Delhi airport on Wednesday for allegedly smuggling 500 gm of gold, claimed to be the personal assistant of Tharoor.
In a post on X, Tharoor said the employee was a "72-year-old retiree" undergoing frequent dialysis and was retained on a part-time basis on compassionate grounds.
"While I am in Dharamshala for campaigning purposes, I was shocked to hear of an incident involving a former member of my staff who has been rendering part-time service to me in terms of airport facilitation assistance," Tharoor tweeted.
"I do not condone any alleged wrongdoing and fully support the authorities in their efforts to take any necessary action as may be required to investigate the matter. The law must take its own course," he further said.
Shiv Kumar was at the Delhi airport to receive a passenger arriving from Dubai, ANI reported. Both were arrested when the passenger was handing over the gold to Prasad.
"Prasad has an aerodrome entry permit card that allows him access to airport premises. He entered the airport premises and received a packet when he was held along with the passenger," sources told ANI.
The BJP was quick to attack Tharoor, saying the CPM and the Congress were an "alliance of gold smugglers".
"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," Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted.
In 2020, around 30 kg of gold was seized by the customs at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from M Sivasankar, the then principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
