Malappuram: The handcuffing of two Muslim Students Union (MSF) workers arrested following a protest against Education Minister V Sivankutty has invited widespread criticism from Opposition leaders.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) strongly condemned the police procedure alleging it violated the Supreme Court order regarding handcuffing an arrested person. P K Kunhalikkutty, IUML National General Secretary, said that the police have treated the students like criminals when the recently arrested SFI workers allegedly received a VIP treatment from the police.
The police have taken the MSF workers in custody at Koyilandy following their protest against Education Minister V Sivankutty over the seat shortage for plus one in Malabar. They have arrested MSF Kozhikode District Committee Convenor T T Afreen and Koyilandy Assembly Constituency President C Faseef. They produced the students for the medical examination with handcuffs.
"We will initiate legal action against the police if the government fails to take action against the police officials involved in it. The MSF workers have not indulged in any kind of violence. They have protested peacefully and there was no reason to handcuff them", P K Kunahlikkutty said.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader V D Satheesan said that the police acted on the direction of AKG Centre. “The police, which bends their spine for SFI leaders, must stop exhibiting their arrogance against the opposition's students union leaders,” he added.
IUML State General Secretary P M A Salam, M K Muneer MLA, and Youth League State President P K Firos have also expressed their protest in the matter.
MSF conducted a protest march on Monday at Kozhikode which ended in lathicharge by the police. The federation plans to intensify their protest in the plus one seat shortage issue soon after the Bakrid.
"There was no need for any medical checkup for the arrested MSF leaders as they have been charged with station-bailable offences. But the police tried to expose them in public with handcuffs. When we questioned it, the police informed us that it is part of the procedure since the murder of Dr Vandana. How can the police act is such a manner when there is no need for a medical check-up? We would intensify our protest against the police act without shifting our focus on the continuous protest over the shortage of plus one seat in Malabar,” P K Navas, MSF State President, told Onmanorama.
IUML has shared its agitation over the treatment of opposition leaders arrested for protesting against the government at different times in the last year. They have strong disagreement with the government over the imprisonment of Youth League President P K Firos and other Youth League leaders involved in the protests against the government in the recent past.
