KOZHIKODE: Thousands of people took part in the protest marches taken out by Muslim organisations affiliated to the Sunni group led by Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar in various parts of Malabar region on Saturday against the appointment of Sriram Venkitaraman, main accused in the death of journalist KM Basheer, as the Alappuzha district collector.
Demanding the government to revoke its decision, the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) and Sunni Students Federation (SSF) participated in the protests organised by Kerala Muslim Jamaath. Inaugurating the march in Malappuram, state secretary of Muslim Jamaath Vantur Abdulrahman Faizi said a person booked in a criminal case was appointed the district collector with the rank of district magistrate. “This is injustice and the persons concerned should be prepared to correct this wrong decision. A government that has appointed a person who openly despised law and justice in this position was colluding to subvert justice and law,” he added.
A huge protest march led by Majeed Kakkad, the district officebearer of the Muslim Jamaath, was taken out to the Kozhikode collectorate. Petitions to the chief minister were handed over to the district collectors of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod requesting him to remove Venkataraman from the post immediately. Muslim Jamaath district general secretary Sharafuddin Anchampedika who inaugurated the march at Kalpetta said the appointment of IAS officers is a policy decision of the government. “The government can withdraw this decision. Who can guarantee that the people of Alappuzha will get justice from someone who has constantly violated the legal system of the country?” he asked.
Thousands of activists have participated in the march which has literally stopped the traffic in Kannur town for around two hours. Muslim Jamaath state vice-president Pattuvam K P Aboobakkar Musliar inaugurated the march in Kannur. The Sunni organisations in the state would continue with the protests till Venkitaraman is removed from the post of collector, he said.
“We cannot accept the government stand to give a promotion to the accused in a murder case, instead of punishing him,” Musliar said. In Kasaragod, more than 1,500 people, including members of the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham and Sunni Students Federation took part in a protest march. SSF state general secretary C N Jafar Sadiq inaugurated the meet. He said Saturday’s protest was a token strike and if Venkitaraman’s posting as the collector was not revoked, the Sunni movement would launch prolonged and powerful strikes.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Jamaat state secretary A Saifudeen Haji inaugurated the march. “A criminal case accused who tried to evade law is now controlling the law and order situation of a district. The government should withdraw from this move which ridicules society,” Haji said. Jamaat district president Hashim Haji Alamcode presided over.