The Hindu : Kerala News : `Judicial probe a victory for Congress'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 17, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

`Judicial probe a victory for Congress'

Girish Menon

UDF delegation meets Achuthanandan, demands that Opposition be consulted on terms of reference

CAMPAIGN ENDS: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy addressing a dharna by Congress leaders in front of the Secretariat on Wednesday, protesting against alleged custodial deaths in the State. - Photo: C. Ratheeh kumar

Thiruvananthapuram: The State Government's decision to institute a judicial probe into the recent custodial and other related deaths involving the police has come as a major political victory for the Congress and the UDF.

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) had picked up the custodial and other related deaths as a major campaign point for the last two-and-a-half months and had admittedly put the State Government on the back foot.

The campaign culminated on Wednesday with an eight-hour dharna in front of the Secretariat demanding a judicial probe into the 14 police connected deaths and police excesses.

The Congress did not hesitate to drive home its advantage by presenting before Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan the family members of 10 of the victims with a plea for compensation.

A UDF delegation also met Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and the Home Minister soon after the Vizhinjam all-party meeting and demanded that the Opposition should be consulted before the Government framed the terms of reference of the judicial probe.

The Chief Minister indicated he was inclined to carry the Opposition along when he asked them to put forward the UDF's suggestions.

The UDF delegation, comprising KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, the Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy, IUML leader E.T. Mohammed Basheer, Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani, CMP leaders C.P. John and K.P. Aravindakshan, RSP (M) leader Babu Divakaram, JSS MLA K.K. Shaju and JSS leader Rajan Babu, also demanded compensation for the victims' families.

In the last three months that the LDF has been in power, the UDF launched two major campaigns. The first one was against Public Works Minister P.J. Joseph demanding his resignation for alleged irregularities in the Maitri housing scheme. The issue figured prominently in the Assembly with the Government agreeing to a probe by an Assembly committee. But the UDF wanted the Minister to resign before constituting the committee. The Assembly committee has not been constituted owing to failure of the Government and the Opposition to reach an agreement. The Youth Congress had continued its agitation against Mr. Joseph, but it was put on the back burner when the deaths related to police action broke out one after the other.

The current campaign has helped to revive the UDF as a unit, even though differences between the Congress and the Kerala Congress (M) persist. The State Government, by its decision to go in for a judicial probe, has tacitly admitted to errors in the functioning of the police department despite a senior police official's attempts to explain away the deaths. Also significant is the Cabinet decision to appoint the former Chief Secretary C. Ramachandran as special advisor to the Home Minister.

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