Thiruvananthapuram: The resentment over the baton charge on Communist Party of India (CPI) activists, including an MLA and district secretary, did not escalate to an all-out slugfest within the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan quickly ordered for a probe into the incident. Even though the front is divided over the protest march held by one of its allies, there is also a strong resentment within the CPI and the LDF over the police action in which the MLA was injured.
The CPI workers were at the receiving end of the cops' batons when they held a protest march on Tuesday, seeking action against a CI over a campus row. Muvattupuzha MLA Eldho Abraham fractured his arm in the melee.
The CPI is the second biggest ally in the ruling LDF after the CPM, Communist Party of India (Marxist).
CM Pinarayi Vijayan, and CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran were sharing the dais during a public event in Thiruvananthapuram when the police beat up the CPI leaders in Ernakulam. CM Pinarayi heads the home department. Even though he did not know the details, Kanam immediately brought the incident to the CM's attention. Pinarayi then contacted the DGP.
The incident also led to heated discussions during a meet of the party ministers held at the MN Memorial, the CPI headquarters. Revenue Minister E Chandrashekharan, also of the CPI, then met CM Pinarayi at the Cliff House around 1.30 pm. The revenue minister appraised the details of the meeting to the leadership on his return to the party headquarters.
"The CM has made it clear that the collector would probe the incident. Let that report come," the revenue minister said after the meet that went on till the evening.
This is not the first time that the CPI has protested against police atrocities. CPI Idukki district leadership had held a police station march to protest the custody death of a remand prisoner at Nedumkandam. Idukki district secretary K K Shivaraman's strong criticisms of the CM made then were later corrected during a state executive committee. However, soon after the Ernakulam leadership was up in arms against the police. A clash between SFI-AISF workers at a college in Vypin led to this. The skirmishes between the students' groups have been a constant headache to the front. Now, with the MLA in hospital, CPI assistant secretary Sathyan Mokeri has made a hasty visit to Kochi.
Kanam's justification
CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said that he would react on the Ernakulam lathicharge after getting a clear picture of the incident. He replied this when reporters sought for his reaction soon after the incident. When he was told that the MLA too was injured, Kanam said, "When you protest against the cops, lathicharge and water cannons might be used. Will enquire about what happened," Kanam said.
Cops off the leash?
An injured Eldho Abraham said that the cops were behaving as if they have been left off the leash.
"It is unfortunate that a party within the ruling front has to protest against the police atrocities. The police assaulted us without any provocation. The CPI would continue to be the corrective force within the front irrespective of the challenges it would face," he stated.
