Ernakulam DCC President Muhammad Shias approached the court with a petition that CM’s remark was a clarion call for further attack on protesters. The court has now directed Ernakulam Central Police to conduct an inquiry.
Published Oct 09, 2024 | 8:10 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 09, 2024 | 8:10 PM
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. (X)
The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Ernakulam on Wednesday, 9 October, ordered an inquiry against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in connection with a remark he made during the Nava Kerala Sadas.
A month-long programme was organised by the ruling LDF in Kerala during November and December last year aimed at reaching out to the people and propagating the state government’s initiatives. During the programme, the state ministers travelled across the state and organised events in all 14 districts.
The event also saw various protests by the Opposition Congress and its youth wing, the Youth Congress, and its student wing, the Kerala Students Union (KSU). Attacks on the protestors allegedly by CPI(M)’s youth wing and students wing — the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) — were termed “rescue attempts” by the chief minister.
The Nava Kerala Sadas yatra witnessed widespread violence with Youth Congress and KSU workers waving black flags at the chief minister’s motorcade, and the police and DYFI workers attacking the protestors.
Vijayan justified his partymen’s acts as “life-saving”. He said the DYFI workers were saving the protestors from being run over by the bus on which he was travelling.
A few days before, a vehicle in the motorcade ran over the feet of the Congress’s Kattakkada Block Secretary Ansaladas. DYFI workers attacked a fallen and injured Ansaladas with iron rods and laths. He later underwent surgery at the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Opposition party had then staged protests alleging that the government was using the state machinery for the Left party’s political campaign. The chief minister had also taken the stance that “an attempt to prevent an attack cannot be termed as violence”.
Following Vijayan’s remarks, Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) President Muhammad Shias approached the court with the petition that it was a clarion call for further attack on protesters.
The court now directed Ernakulam Central Police to conduct an inquiry.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
