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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major departure from the norm, junior alliance partners sought to corner Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the LDF meeting over inaction on damning allegations against ADGP (Law and Order) M R Ajith Kumar. An unfazed Pinarayi dismissed the demand for disciplinary action against the top cop, saying “an inquiry headed by the DGP is under way. Let it be complete.”
However, the CM assured the alliance partners that action would be taken against the police officers who disrupted the Thrissur Pooram.
CPI, NCP and RJD led the attack at Wednesday’s meeting. The CM, who presided over the meeting, while presenting the day’s agenda, did not include the ADGP- RSS meeting. However, RJD national general secretary Varghese George questioned the omission. “LDF is supposed to be a political body of the Left parties. Hence the issue of controversial meetings between the ADGP and RSS leaders should be included in the agenda,” he said.
George said that RSS is making rapid inroads in Kerala. “Even in the presidential election the BJP got a vote from the state. BJP increased its vote share from 13% to 19% in the last Lok Sabha election. In this situation, the ADGP- RSS meeting is a very serious issue and it should be discussed,” he said.
NCP president P C Chacko told the CM that there is a provision to suspend the ADGP pending inquiry. “This is very urgently needed to protect the image of the government. If the government suspends the ADGP it will only increase the acceptance and image of the government and the LDF among the public,” he said.
CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam said Ajith Kumar should be suspended. “The ADGP’s meeting with RSS leaders is not acceptable to the LDF. Unless proper disciplinary action is taken against the top police official, the acceptability of the Left government and the front before the masses will be under question,” he said.
The CM reminded the leaders that an inquiry is going on against the ADGP. “If we suspend him now, it will give an impression that the government has succumbed to the pressure of the Opposition,” he said. However, both Binoy and Chacko shot back that that it is not a question of succumbing to the pressure of the Opposition. It is the political position of the LDF that is important. A disciplinary action will only lift the image of the government. It has nothing to do with the Opposition, they said.
Chacko also criticised the police action during Thrissur Pooram. “I was an MP from Thrissur for 14 years. We have a document in the pooram office demarcating the distance where the public should stand. It was prepared by the central explosive controller. Hence, the unnecessary control imposed on the public and the misbehaviour of the police towards them were unnecessary. The police officers did not obey the instructions of Minister K Rajan. The police also manhandled the public,” he said.
Binoy also pointed out that it was the high-handedness of the police that led to the disruption of pooram. The CM assured them that action would be taken against those who were responsible for the disruption of pooram.
GOVT WILL ACT ONCE IT GETS THE REPORT: LDF CONVENER
LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan told reporters that the meeting between the ADGP and RSS leaders was not the real issue. “Why they met is the issue. We cannot say that one should not meet RSS leaders. A decision on removing the ADGP has to be taken by the government. An inquiry is going on against the ADGP.
The government will act once it gets the report. The CPM and other front partners have never taken a decision in favour of the RSS,” he said. On Speaker A N Shamseer’s comment on the RSS, the convener said that Shamseer can take an independent stance as he is the Speaker. He also took a dig at P V Anvar, saying ‘Anvar is not the LDF’ and that he is only an MLA of the front. The LDF convener also dismissed the narrative that E P Jayarajan has been removed from the post of LDF convener for meeting BJP leader Prakash Javadekar. “He was removed from the position due to organisational reasons,” said Ramakrishnan.
Satheesan poses 7 questions to CM
A day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ended his silence on the alleged CPM-RSS nexus, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has retaliated by saying that instead of a study class, a clear-cut reply to the allegations was required. Satheesan has also come up with seven questions for the CM
Why did the ADGP meet RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale and the organisation’s spokesperson Ram Madhav in a gap of 10 days?
What was the purpose of the meeting which lasted several hours?
Did the ADGP act as the political intermediary of the chief Minister?
Was it not the handiwork of the chief minister who sabotaged Thrissur Pooram with the help of the ADGP so as to help the BJP?
Why was the CM protecting the top police officer inspite of the opposition and the LDF allies demanding action against him?
Who else was present during the meeting between the ADGP and Ram Madhav at Kovalam?
Are the allegations raised by a CPM-backed MLA over the last 10 days right or wrong?