THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leaders have rallied around KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran against the LDF government's decision to prosecute him over his criticism of the state police chief.
The state police chief and DGP Loknath Behera on Friday received permission to file a defamation case against the KPCC chief over his alleged remark during Lok Sabha elections, comparing him to that of a CPM branch secretary.
He was commenting on circular seeking details of the policemen having postal votes.
Congress Working Committee members A. K. Antony, K. C. Venugopal and Oommen Chandy, MPs K. Muraleedharan and Kodikunnil Suresh and former KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran slammed the move.
Mr Antony said it's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who should be prosecuted first followed by the majority of his ministers.
“Mr Vijayan and CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan have always attacked the Kerala Police. The language the top leaders of the CPM and its feeder organisations used was shameful,” he said.
The three-time chief minister alleged that the majority of police officers are humble servants of the CPM and challenged Mr Vijayan to take action against them first.
Mr Venugopal described it the biggest comedy of the year. By this action, he said, the LDF government had become a laughing stock and proved that there is no difference between the CPM and BJP.
Mr Chandy, a two-time chief minister, said it was Mr Vijayan's ploy to silence the opposition, as the LDF government failed to maintain law and order. “If the Congress comes out and reveals the unholy nexus between the CPM and the police officials, they will hang their heads in shame," he said. "We are unable to whitewash the current force. We will deal with the defamation case both politically and legally."
