THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP councillors and party workers have deposed before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) investigation team that the police sided with the CPM during the political violence in Thiruvananthapuram.
Deposing before the commission team, BJP councillors and party workers, whose houses were attacked allegedly by CPM workers, also said police officers who visited their homes helped CPM men to attack their homes by providing them information. The BJP functionaries deposed before commission SP Sumedha Dwivedi at the sittings which began on Tuesday.
Despite alerting the police about the attacks on their homes, neither did they arrive on time nor did they take steps to quell the violence. Instead, senior police officials were more interested in offering protection to the homes of CPM leaders and CPM party offices, the BJP workers said.
Attempts were made by the CPM to threaten and coax BJP workers to withdraw their complaints, they further complained to the commission. The complainants were not even issued acknowledgement receipts or FIR numbers, they alleged. NHRC officials visited the tailoring shop of Nataraj Kannan at Chalai, the homes of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation BJP councillors Simi Jyothish, S K P Ramesh and R C Beena, and those of party workers Padmadas, Rajendran, M Sunil Kumar and Sooraj.
In addition to BJP workers, their relatives and party loyalists, the office bearers of the Mitrapuram Residents’ Association also deposed before the commission probe team. The statements of the district leaders of the BJP will be recorded on Friday.