Chief Minister defends Koothattukulam-Kala Raju incident citing democratic ethics

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Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday virtually justified the alleged "assault and kidnap" of CPM councillor Kala Raju, saying that her decision to switch sides and the UDF move to "encourage" her to shift loyalties as "anti-democratic". He was responding to an adjournment motion moved by Piravom MLA Anoop Jacob in the Assembly on Tuesday, January 21.
The charge is that when Kala Raju arrived at the Koothattukulam Municipality to take part in a 'no confidence' motion on January 18, the CPM workers, with the help of the police, forcibly whisked her away in the chairperson's car.
The Chief Minister said that shifting political allegiances was uncommon in a democracy. But even defection has ethics, the CM argued. "Once defection happens, once a person has been lured to the opposing side using dubious means, isn't there a democratic way in which this should be carried out? Shouldn't the person ideally resign her post? Can we encourage such mindless defection? Will the Congress find this acceptable?" the Chief Minister said. He found Kala Raju's politics outrageous but the CM was silent about the alleged violence the councillor was subjected to by CPM workers.
Anoop Jacob, while moving the adjournment motion, said that Kala Raju was waylaid, assaulted and shoved inside the official vehicle of the municipality chairperson. Jacob said Kala Raju was sought to be publicly stripped. "She told me that her saree was torn and the thread of her underskirt was pulled at. Forget the fact that she is a councillor or that she had come for a no-confidence motion. More than all this, she is a widow, and a mother," Jacob said. "Has the CM forgotten his lofty declaration that women's safety was paramount," he said.
Opposition Leader VD Satheesan seemed amused by the CM's discourse on the ethics of defection. "Was it not last month that one of our members in Karumalloor panchayat (in Ernakulam district) switched sides and voted for you (LDF). Didn't such ethics apply to him? Wasn't this defector made the vice president of the panchayat the very day he switched sides," Satheesan said, and added: "How can you speak of democratic ethics with such a straight face."
Muslim League leader PK Kunhalikuty was bitingly sarcastic. "As the CM said, there are many legal remedies in our system against defection. Kidnapping a councillor is not one," Kunhalikuty said.
The Opposition Leader said the most shameful was the behaviour of the police. "The police force facilitated her kidnap," Satheesan said.
He said that when a lorry blocked the way of the chairperson's car in which Kala Raju was taken, the police worked hard to remove the lorry from the way.
The debate on the adjournment motion also witnessed a bitter exchange of words between Speaker AN Shamseer and the Opposition Leader.
The Opposition Leader was provoked by the repeated disruption of his speech by the LDF back benches. At one stage, Satheesan even threw down his notes on the desk in a fit of rage and ordered the UDF members to storm the well of the House in protest.
Amid the constant interruptions, the Speaker kept telling Satheesan to avoid the provocations and resume speaking. The interruptions continued. When Satheesan asked the Speaker to control the members, the Speaker said he was helpless.
Satheesan then accused the Speaker of being in cahoots with the LDF members to thwart his speech. Apparently taken aback, the Speaker said Satheesan should not behave immaturely. "You don't have to teach me maturity," Satheesan shot back.