THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP district president S Suresh has demanded the resignation of Kattakkada MLA I B Satheesh for his alleged involvement in the demolition of a Dalit family’s house at Kattakkada. He told reporters on Tuesday the family of Kumari, a Dalit woman, and her eight-member family were thrown to the streets after demolishing the house where they had been living for the past 90 years.He alleged Satheesh had conspired with the DYFI leader who was behind the eviction of the family even while he claimed he was supporting the victim’s family.
Suresh said Kumari and her family were CPM sympathisers. “When Satheesh was the Kattakkada area secretary, he had offered to help the family in conducting the court case. But the CPM did not help them. The advocate the party had engaged for the case did not submit relevant revenue records in the court and covertly supported those who had initiated legal proceedings against the family to get an ex-party verdict in favour of the complainant.
Following the court ruling against the Dalit family, the CPM cheated the family by asking them to arrive at a compromise with the complainant by accepting 12 cents of land instead of the 24 cents.
He alleged it was ploy to prevent them file an appeal against the court verdict. “Once the deadline for filing of appeal ended, the DYFI and CPM workers along with court officials and over 200 policemen came to demolish the house. The family had not been served any legal notice. As the house was demolished using JCB, the BJP workers from the nearby areas took the family to the Kulathummal village office seeking justice.”
He said the BJP would protect the family at any cost and fight till they received their land.He alleged the family was threatened at the compromise meeting convened by the ADM.
The SC/ST Commission also offered to help the family.He said the BJP would take out a “justice protection march” to the camp office of Satheesh on July 15. State leaders of the party and Dalit leaders will take part in the march.District general secretaries Pappanamcode Saji, Biju B Nair, district vice-president Mukkampalammoodu Biju, Kattakkada mandalam president G Santhosh were present at the press meet.
Seeks CM’s intervention
Suresh also called upon Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to urgently intervene in the matter and help the Dalit family get justice. In case the Chief minister is not initiating action, the BJP would take out a march to the residence of the Chief Minister in the third week of July.