UDF walks out on Dalit row
The arrest of the dalit sisters had snowballed into a major controversy as Anjana even attempted suicide.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition UDF on Tuesday demanded action against the police officials for allegedly violating the Supreme Court guidelines while arresting the dalit sisters Anjana and Akhila in Thalassery. The members also staged a walkout from the House after permission for an adjournment motion was denied. The arrest of the dalit sisters had snowballed into a major controversy as Anjana even attempted suicide.
Replying to the notice for an adjournment motion given by former minister K.C. Joseph, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan maintained that the police had followed the Supreme Court norms during the arrest of the sisters, who are daughters of local Congress leader N. Rajan. They were remanded in judicial custody as they did not seek bail. The kid was not with the sisters at that time, he said.
The issue was being raked up with political motives, he said and added that there were a couple of police complaints against the family from their neighbours Sakeena and Ashok Kumar. Those were settled and the family was even warned, he said. However, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala charged that Pinarayi Vijayan was speaking like the CPM state secretary and not like the chief minister as he was trying to defend the party workers.
He said that 48 incidents of attack on UDF workers were reported after the LDF came to power. Mr. Joseph alleged that the sisters did not get bail initially owing to the stand of the police. They were forced to change their stand after their action became controversial.
Rajagopal too walks out
BJP MLA O. Rajagopal also staged a walkout from the House maintaining that though he was not with the UDF, he was not satisfied with the government's stand on the violence in Kannur.
After the UDF MLAs walked out, Mr. Rajagopal sought Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan's permission to speak. He said, “I am not part of the UDF. But the violence in Kannur is not a silly issue as the government maintains. The explanation of the chief minister on the issue was not satisfactory. Hence, I am also staging a walkout,” Mr Rajagopal said.