THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the circumstances leading to the lathicharge on CPI march to Inspector General’s Office in Ernakulam in which Muvattupuzha MLA Eldoh Abraham sustained a fracture.
The chief minister directed Ernakulam collector to probe the police action. Pinarayi's directive came close on the heels of revenue minister E.Chandrashekharan rushing to chief minister's official residence Cliff House to register strong protest against the lathicharge.
Mr C-handrashekharan informed the chief minister that the brute force used against MLA and their workers was uncalled for and cannot be justified.
The CPI workers had taken out a march to IG office demanding action against Njarakkal CI Murali for favouring SFI during a clash with AISF in Government College Vypeen last week.
The CPI leadership threatened to intensify the agitation against police highhandedness. They said it is high time the government reined cops using brute force against peaceful demonstrations.
The party demanded action against the police personnel responsible for the lathicharge.
The CPM and CPI leaders have been at loggerheads in Ernakulam district over the past few months.
Last week CPI district secretary P.Raju was blocked by SFI and DYFI activists when he went to a local hospital in Njarackal to meet AISF activists who got injured during a clash with SFI in Vypeen College.
The CPI and AISF had also launched a scathing attack on the SFI accusing it of resorting to violence against rival student organisations. CPI secretary Kanam Rajendran had questioned the SFI intolerance.
The CPI district leadership in Idukki had taken out a march to Nedumkandam police station recently to protest against the custodial death of Rajkumar.
