‘Custodial torture not Left policy’; CPI conference slams Kerala Police

Alappuzha: Delegates at the CPI state conference sharply criticised the Kerala Police, saying officers, including ADGPs who ignore calls from the Revenue Minister, the second-ranking minister in the Cabinet, and those who treat custodial torture as routine, cannot be called ‘our police’. They warned that if the Left fails to return to power for a third term, it would be due to police rule.

“Custodial torture and brutal crackdowns are not Leftist policies. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s policing approach is not our policy. The Home Department is a total failure,” the delegates said. They rejected the positive assessment of the Home Department presented in the political report by state secretary Binoy Viswam.

Delegates alleged that the Home Department failed to act against the ADGP who ignored a call from Revenue Minister K Rajan and the inspector who behaved rudely on phone with Food Minister G R Anil. They also criticised the protection given to ADGP M R Ajith Kumar, who stirred controversy during Pooram, saying it should never have been extended. They added that the Chief Minister’s interest in protecting him stemmed from Ajith Kumar’s ties with the BJP, and accused CPI leadership of standing submissively before the Chief Minister.

Delegates further said the Chief Minister appears to give DYFI a ‘rescue operations certificate’ while handing the police a ‘goonda certificate’. They alleged that individuals serving the interests of the UDF and BJP, as well as those with criminal connections, exist in the police force from IPS officers down to lower ranks. RSS factions are also active in police stations, they said. When Annie Raja raised this issue earlier, the party leadership ignored it. Delegates warned that if the police are not reined in, a situation like Nepal could repeat in Kerala.

‘Not even mentioning CPI’s name’
Delegates criticised that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, while inaugurating a seminar as part of the state conference, did not even mention the CPI. They also objected to the heavy police security, which made delegates pass through metal detectors to enter the seminar. “Why does the Chief Minister need such a heavy police escort to attend a Communist Party conference? Does this befit a Communist Chief Minister?” they asked.