Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the assembly on Tuesday while referring to the attack on poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar by alleged Sangh Parivar activists assured of strict action against those who attack people for airing their opinion. However, the treasury benches and the opposition shied away from raising the real issue behind the attack on the poet.
Mr Sreekumar had said in the complaint to the police that his reference to Vadayampady caste wall while speaking at the anniversary celebrations of Kairali Library, near Kottukal, was the reason for the attack. Dalits have been fighting against what they term as ‘a caste wall’ built around the community space in their neighbourhood at Vadayampady, near Kochi, for over a year.
Mr Vijayan, Mullakkara Ratnakaran of the CPI who raised the issue through a submission and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala who intervened were silent on their struggle as they did not want to antagonise the NSS which is on the other side of the dispute.
Replying to the submission, Mr Vijayan said the state had stood out as an island of hope when attacks on freedom of expression are rampant elsewhere in the country. The government will provide necessary protection to ensure that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, he said. A group of 15 RSS and BJP workers led by a panchayat member Dipu were behind the incident.
