'No ban on black dresses, masks': Pinarayi claims propaganda on excessive security
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan clarified that there is no ban on black masks or black dresses at his functions.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan clarified that there is no ban on black masks or black dresses at his functions.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan clarified that there is no ban on black masks or black dresses at his functions.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan clarified that there is no ban on black masks or black dresses at his functions. This statement apparently follows increasing unease among Left Democratic Front partners and among a section of CPM leaders on the excessive restrictions imposed by the police on the colour black in public functions attended by the CM.
The strange measures followed by the State Police personnel across Kerala — removing people's black masks and not allowing people to wear black during CM's public programmes — in an attempt to prevent protestors from black flagging the CM, had drawn severe criticism from all quarters without political differences.
Speaking while inaugurating the state conference of the Library Council online from Kannur on Monday, the CM claimed that these allegations of the 'black ban' are propaganda by those with vested interests.
As the opposition parties started to protest and black flag the CM demanding his resignation over fresh allegations of his involvement in the gold smuggling case, police have been blocking the way for hours together as part of CM's heightened security wherever he travels. The police also prevented people from wearing black masks and black dresses.
Sensing the mood, the chief minister himself issued a clarification which said that no political-administrative decision had been taken to ban black.
Nevertheless, there were intelligence reports on the police forcing two passers-by in Kannur to remove their black masks even on Monday.
The State Director General of Police (DGP) Anil Kant reiterated the CM's stand and released a press handout later. Following this, the DGP sent wireless messages and directed Additional DGP Vijay Sakhare, Zonal Inspector Generals, Range Deputy IGs, and District Police chiefs to immediately stop all action against the black colour. He also ordered the higher officials to pass the direction clearly to the lower-rung police personnel.
Who ordered ban on black?
Even as the Chief Minister washed his hands of the row and clarified that there is no ban on black in Kerala, and the State Police Chief Anil Kant denied that people were blocked on their way for long hours in the name of the CM's security, the question remains on who ordered a hunt for black in Kerala over the past three days.
The District Police Chiefs had claimed that they got direction for these actions from the State Police Head Quarters. However, the State Police Chief has now released a handout denying it all.
The Chief Minister released a video denying and elaborating how there is no ban on black in Kerala.
It is highly unlikely the Home Department higher-ups were blind to the incidents of police high-handedness, blocking travellers on road for hours together and restricting even those heading to hospitals, in the past two days.
4 District Police Chiefs get show-cause notices
State DGP Anil Kant has issued show-cause notices to four District Police Chiefs in Kerala amid controversies on the 'black hunt' by the Police. Kochi City Police Commissioner Inspector General CH Nagaraju, Superintendent of Police (SP) D Shilpa (Kottayam), SP Sujith Das (Malappuram) and SP P B Rajeev (Kannur Rural) have been given the notices.