THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government on Sunday came under immense pressure to revoke the tough charges of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against two college students --- both CPM workers --- for their alleged Maoist links.
The CPM hoped no innocent person would be slapped with charges under the tough anti-terror law during the LDF rule. Law Minister A K Balan and LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan were among the prominent voices to decry invocation of UAPA. The Opposition put the onus on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who holds the home portfolio, and demanded his resignation.
Balan said further proceedings in the case would happen only after proper legal scrutiny.
“Care should be taken when FIR is registered in such cases. Police should probe all aspects properly and also with the realisation that UAPA shouldn’t be misused,” he said.
The LDF convener, while flaying the police for slapping the anti-terror charges on the students, was careful not to criticise the government. “The police shouldn’t have pressed these charges against them. When the officers act in such cases, it should be in accordance with the state government’s policy,” said Vijayaraghavan.
He reminded the LDF government corrected the police whenever it had invoked the tough anti-terror law.
CPM against UAPA
While terming the attempts to put the LDF government in the dock on the UAPA issue as ‘politically motivated’, the CPM said it was against invoking the anti-terror law against the two CPM activists.
“It was the CPM that vehemently opposed the UAPA law enacted by the Centre. In this (Kozhikode) incident, the Chief Minister has sought a report from the police,” the CPM state secretariat said in a statement.
The party said the LDF government has repeatedly turned down attempts by the police to invoke UAPA and it expects a similar stance in the Kozhikode case too.
No innocent person will be charged with UAPA under the LDF regime, the statement said.
CPM Kannur district secretary M V Jayarajan, who was the private secretary to the chief minister, said ‘people-friendly policing’ was the policy of the LDF government. He said the police should change themselves in accordance with the government policy.
CPM MLA M Swaraj also decried the police action against party workers. He hoped the government would take corrective steps in the matter.
‘CM should resign’
Even as the LDF and Left supporters squarely blamed the police for the UAPA fiasco, the Opposition chose to put the blame on Pinarayi.“What we see around is terror unleashed by the ruling dispensation. The police are indulging in excesses. The chief minister, who has failed to rein in the police, should resign,” said Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.