KOCHI: The fight between Twenty20 chief coordinator Sabu M Jacob and Kunnathunad MLA P V Sreenijin took a new turn after the police booked Sabu and other leaders of the Kitex-backed outfit for allegedly insulting him based on his caste.
The cases were registered against Sabu, Aikaranad panchayat president Deena Deepak, vice-president Prasanna Pradeep and members Sathya Prakash, Jeel Mavelil and Rehani P T under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on the CPM legislator’s complaint.
The MLA had alleged that the leaders insulted him by walking off the stage when he was about to inaugurate the Farmers’ Day celebrations organised by Aikaranad Krishi Bhavan on August 17. Sabu did not attend the event, but has been made the first accused.
Rubbishing the charges, Sabu on Friday alleged Sreenijin had been targeting him, Twenty20 and Kitex group without provocation since becoming MLA. “We did not insult him. He is levelling baseless allegations,” the Kitex MD told reporters.
He said it has been Twenty20’s decision not to share the dais with any other political leader – be it the chief minister or leader of opposition – at any public function as a mark of protest against their way of politics. It was as per this decision that the panchayat leaders did not share the dais with Sreenijin, he said, adding that they did not boycott the event, but sat among the audience.
“How can this mark of protest be construed as an insult to the MLA’s caste? Sreenijin has been devising various methods to destroy us. He is using his influence to disconnect power and drinking water supply to the Kitex factory at Kizhakkambalam,” Sabu said. He blamed the MLA for Kitex’s decision to start its new unit in Telangana by investing Rs 3,500 crore.
“As an MLA, Sreenijin failed miserably in bringing any development to Kunnathunad. In fact, he is scuttling public projects,” he said. Sabu also targeted the state government. “We are under a rule like Idi Amin in Kerala. The government is using police and other political machinery to silence dissenters.
We have decided to fight this high-handedness legally,” Sabu said, referring to the former Ugandan president who ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern world history.
Sreenijin alleged that Sabu had repeatedly made derogatory statements against him. “On August 17, the panchayat president invited me to the programme. When I reached, those on the stage, including the president, left the dais and sat among the audience,” Sreenijin told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. He alleged that Sabu had urged people to treat him like an enemy and ostracise him. “Sabu has directed the panchayat members not to attend any functions with me. This is ostracisation,” the MLA alleged.