Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM and the CPI have expressed different views on the rape of an actor in Kochi after she was abducted. While CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said on Sunday that it was an isolated incident, CPI national executive member Pannyan Raveendran and CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran took exception to his view. Mr Balakrishnan denied that the law and order had deteriorated in the state as alleged by other parties. The situation was better than in the previous five years, he added. He alleged that Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala was trying to show that he had more power than former chief minister Oommen Chandy.
Mr Pannyan Raveendran said the attack on the actor could not be considered as isolated. Similar incidents were being repeated, he said. If any police officers were acting against the policies of the government, action should be taken against them, he said. Mr Kanam Rajendran said that the attack proved that the women were not safe in the state. He asked the government to form a department exclusively for women's safety. The failure of cinema associations to react strongly was unfortunate.
