THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stirred up a hornet's nest on Thursday stating that accused in the Kalamassery bus torching case were involved in the violence that followed Tuesday's controversial arrest of Usman at Edathala, Aluva.
Although the Chief Minister - speaking in the Assembly - admitted lapses on the part of the police, his remark that the Opposition should not encourage extremists resulted in pandemonium and premature adjournment of the day's sitting.
The Chief Minister, replying to the adjournment motion plea, said Usman was the first to assault police officers. But the police should not have responded in kind, he said. ''The police should not have become part of the conflict. They should have taken a case and followed it up with the necessary action if someone hit them. The police should not have stooped to the emotional level of an ordinary citizen,'' he said.
But the subsequent violence that occurred in the hospital where Usman was taken was instigated by a group with 'extremist character'' to prevent the police from performing its duty. The Government will not succumb to attempts aimed at weakening the police mechanism, he said.
''Aluva is not an independent Republic. It is a place subject to law and order maintenance as the rest of Kerala. Some people there believe that they can manhandle the police. Is the police a group that should be manhandled by people of extremist nature?,'' he said. He alleged that certain members of the Opposition had entered the well shouting slogans did so with the intention of protecting extremists.
''I know the people of Aluva well. It is not a place unknown to me. There are courageous people there who oppose extremism. There are extremists in Kerala society. They are emerging as a threat to the society. Some people who are raising their voices here are people who encourage such people. They should not take a stand encouraging extremists,'' he said.
By drowning the Assembly in uproar, the Opposition was attempting to prevent him from speaking. ''All this is a game to prevent me from speaking. I said that there are some people who help, some people who protect extremists. I repeat it. That is dangerous for the society,'' he said. There are individuals in mainstream parties who encourage extremism.
In the Assembly, it is not the stand of such individuals, but the general stand that should be reflected, he said.
The Opposition, led by K C Joseph in the absence of Ramesh Chennithala, demanded the Chief Minister to withdraw his remarks and apologise to the Opposition and the people of Kerala. However, the CM had stood fast on his charges.
He also accused Anwar Sadath MLA, who moved the adjournment motion, of trying to create a communal divide with his remarks that the police had assaulted Usman who was on Ramadan fast. The Chief Minister also denied the allegation that the Home Department had lost control over the police. With the Opposition unwilling to return to their seats,
Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan had wound up the day's business by 10.45 am. The Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Bill and the Kerala Conservation of Paddy and Wetland (Amendment) Bill were referred to the subject committee.