THIRUVANANTHAURAM: While clarifying that no one would be allowed to misuse Unlawful Activi-ties Prevention Act (UAPA), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has defended the arrest of two youths saying Maoist literature was recovered from Alan Suhaib,while Thaha Fazal, the other youth who was taken into custody, had raised pro Maoist slogans when the police arrived at his house for search operations. ‘Do you see Maoi-sts as lambs? Portray-ing them as holy spirit is shocking,’ the CM told the Opposition. Pro Maoist banners, a laptop, memory card were also seized from Thah-a’s home. There’s no in-formation whether laptop has any incriminating evidence, he said.
The chief minister told Assembly that the arrest of two youths against whom UAPA was slapped, was being examined seriously. He echoed his party CPM's official position that UAPA was a draconian law. The two youths were arrested as they had registered protest against the killing of Maoists in police action. The youths were spotted in suspicious circumstances. One of them escaped. Two others who were questioned by police could not give any convincing answer.
He was replying to the notice on adjournment motion moved by Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
Pinarayi lashed out at the UDF alleging that almost all draconian laws including TADA, POTA and UAPA were brought during the tenure of Congress government at the Centre. When BJP leader and union home minister Amit Shah moved the amendment in Parliament, of the 19 UDF MPs including 14 of Congress, none stood up to oppose it. The lone CPM member A M Ariff put up a strong resistance against the draconian amendment.
He referred to some of the major attacks that the Maoists had carried out in the recent past. In 2012 the Maoists killed over 130 workers, 75 CRPF jawans were killed in Bastar in 2010, 11 CRPF men in 2014 in Sukma valley.
