The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Government using police to put down dissent, says UDF

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Friday, Jul 18, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Government using police to put down dissent, says UDF

Special Correspondent

Opposition walkout over lathicharge of Youth Congress activists

Home Minister refutes UDF charges
Action sought against erring police personnel

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) members staged a walkout from the Assembly on Thursday accusing the government of using the police for its ‘narrow political’ ends.

The Opposition, which sought adjournment of the proceedings to discuss the police lathicharge on Youth Congress workers here on Wednesday, charged the government with use of brute force to put down dissent and said the lathicharge on Youth Congress workers was unprovoked.

The police even turned the water cannons at the pandal where State Youth Congress president T. Siddique was on an indefinite fast, they alleged.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan strongly repudiated the Opposition charge and cited reports appearing in different newspapers in support of his contention that the Youth Congress workers had invited the police action by hurling stones at police personnel.

The police had not entered the satyagraha pandal.

The UDF leadership would do well to admit that the agitation on Wednesday had gone out of their control, he said.

Seeking leave for the motion, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan (Congress) displayed a blood-stained shirt and accused the police of having tried to force its way into the shed were the Youth Congress State president was on fast.

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said it was not the policy of the Congress to attack the police and said the incidents during the last few days involving both UDF activists and workers and leaders of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) constituents were a fallout of attempts by the CPI(M) to use the police to serve their narrow political interests. That the police had not spared even leaders of the LDF constituents was evident from the way CPI leader Vazhoor Soman was treated by the police in Idukki, he said.

The House witnessed a brief noisy spell when the CPI members joined issue with Mr. Chandy and other Opposition members over his allegations relating to the police’s handling of Mr. Soman’s case.

Outside the House, Mr. Radhakrishnan demanded action against the police officials responsible for the lathicharge on Youth Congress workers and a judicial inquiry into the incident.

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