THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday witnessed a war of words over the law and order situation in the state as opposition UDF led by the Congress charged that Kerala has turned into a "corridor of goondas" even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused them, along with communal forces, of being responsible for causing riots.
During the zero hour, the opposition sought notice for an adjournment motion to discuss the alleged increasing incidents of murder, violence and assaults against women in the state after the Left government came to power.
Rubbishing the charges as "baseless", Vijayan, however, said Kerala is one among the states where the law and order situation is remarkably intact in the country and the state police is taking stringent measures against all sorts of atrocities and evil acts in the society.
If 1,677 murder cases were reported in the state during the five-year tenure of the previous UDF government, the number of such cases were 1,516 during the LDF government's period since May 25, 2016 to May 9, 2021, he explained.
"After the present government came to power, the number of political murders reported in the state were six and legal actions have already been taken against 73 out of the total 92 accused in those cases," Vijayan said.
Pointing out that BJP-RSS activists were found accused in three out of six cases of political murders reported in the state after the government came to power, he also said the SDPI activists and Congress workers were the culprits in the rest of the incidents.
"You (Congress-UDF) and the communal forces are responsible for causing riots in the state. Whom you are trying to protect by accusing the government over these incidents instead of exposing the attempts by the communal forces?" the Chief Minister asked.
In Kerala, the UDF, BJP and SDPI were all ready to turn the state into a conflict zone, but the police were taking a strong stand in such incidents and arresting all the culprits, he further said.
However, N Shamsudheen (IUML), who sought notice for the motion, alleged that murderers and goons were unleashing violence in the state and the police and the home department had no control over them.
The Chief Minister could not even protect his own party member K Haridasan allegedly killed by a BJP activist in the politically-volatile Kannur district recently, the IUML legislator said mocking at the government.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said the Left government failed miserably in giving adequate protection to the life and property of people in the state.
The police officers were controlled by the CPI(M) district and area secretaries and the law enforcers were unable to deliver their duty because of undue interference of the party leaders, the Congress leader said.
Terming the Chief Minister's allegation that the UDF was causing the breakdown of law and order situation in Kerala as a "joke", he also said the entire state has turned into a "corridor of goondas" under the LDF rule.
The UDF later staged a walkout as Speaker M B Rajesh denied leave for the motion.