Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the police registered a case against Latin Archdiocese vicar general Fr Eugene Pereira over fishermen's stir at Muthalapozhi, Opposition leader V D Satheesan alleged that the LDF government was misusing the police to file charges against protesters.
The police booked the priest and 50 others for calling for a riot when ministers V Sivankutty, G R Anil and Antony Raju visited Muthalapozhi where a fisherman was killed and three others went missing after a boat capsized.
Satheesan demanded the government scrap the case against the priest.
“Over 60 people were killed in Muthalapozhi in similar accidents. Some of the bodies have not been recovered yet. The government is not taking any action even after several accidents in the area,” he said.
“The people of the coastal areas always react emotionally. This is not the first that they have reacted in such a way against politicians. Police registered a case against Fr Eugiene Pereira for attempting to create a riot here. The ministers alleged that the priest called for rioting as the 140-day long protest against Vizhinjam port led by him was a failure," said Satheesan.
Taking a dig at the government, he alleged that the government has been turning Muthalapozhi into an estuary of death.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard resumed the search for the fishermen who went missing in the sea.
On Tuesday, Anchuthengu police said they have recovered the body of Kunjumon (42) while three others -- Robin (42), Biju (48) and Biju (55) -- are still missing.
According to the fisherfolk, unscientific construction of the groyne fields is causing repeated accidents in the area.
