Thiruvananthapuram: Days after the conclusion of the LDF government's Nava Kerala Sadas, the police department has come under fire for booking a huge number of UDF activists over black flag protests. When police registered 256 cases against Congress workers, they ignored the CPM men who assumed the role of a parallel police force and assaulted the protesters.
Those displaying black flags from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram were ruthlessly attacked by CPM workers, often with the police merely standing as spectators during these incidents. It is alleged that numerous complaints filed in this regard were not even registered by the police.
The Chief Minister also justified the action of the CPM workers, claiming that they were conducting a "rescue operation” by blocking the Congress workers from jumping in front of the bus carrying the ministers.
In most districts, the police arrested key leaders of the UDF. However, they neither filed an FIR nor recorded any arrest in the complaint against the CPM workers.
Similarly, no action was taken to arrest the Chief Minister's gunman, Anil Kumar, who violated all provisions of the protocol and brutally assaulted Youth Congress workers in Alappuzha. Though the Chief Minister defended the gunman stating that he did not witness Anil Kumar attacking UDF workers, intervention by the court eventually compelled the police to file cases under non-bailable sections against Anil Kumar and another security officer, Sandeep.
So far, the police registered 307 cases over the protests during Nava Kerala Sadas in various parts of the state. When 256 cases were registered against UDF activists, police booked eight BJP members over black flag protests. Five policemen are also accused of assaulting the protesters.
Apart from this, seven additional cases were registered against individuals affiliated with other organisations.
