Case against ‘misogynistic’ remark against Remya Haridas.
Thiruvananthapuram: Director-general of prosecutions C. Sreedharan Nair has advised the State police not to book LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan, who allegedly made misogynistic remarks against Remya Haridas, the UDF candidate in Alathur. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the UDF would approach higher forums, seeking justice to the woman candidate.
The advice to spare the LDF convener is completely wrong, Chennithala said. ‘We will approach the Central Election Commi-ssion seeking action”, he said. The opposition has also alleged that the CPM is using the police for political purposes.
The legal brief given by the DGP to the police states that Vijayaraghavn had not committed an offence that deserves a case against him. The legal advice was handed over to the Thrissur Range IG of the police by the Malappuram SP.
The LDF convener made the controversial remarks against Ms Haridas while addressing an election meeting near Ponnani in Malappuram district on April 1. Referring to Ms Haridas in a speech, Mr Vjayaraghavan said the “The girl contesting elections from Alathur first went to Panakkad Hyder Ali Shihab Thangal (IUML leader) and then to PK Kunhalikutty (IUML Leader and UDF candidate in Malappuram). I don’t know what will happen to her now”. The LDF leader was accused of insinuating something untoward in Ms Haridas meeting Mr Kunhalikutty, once embroiled in the ice cream parlour case.
The LDF convener had come under attack by the public, including feminists and other activists for his comments. The CPM leadership had also chastised him, saying he should have been careful with his words. The state chief electoral officer issued a warning to him the other day in the matter.
The AG, however, has given the green signal to the police for registering a case against MK Raghavan, the UDF candidate in Kozhikode, caught in a sting operation by a news channel. According to the legal advice case can be registered against him according to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. The LDF Election Committee in Kozhikode has filed a complaint with the state election commission in the wake of the sting operation. The commission has handed over the complaint to the police and the police sent the complaint for legal advice to the DGP.
