Following Pinarayi's demand, CM asks Home Dept to examine cases against NEET leak protesters in Kerala

Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Tuesday asked the Home Department to scrutinise and initiate follow-up action on Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan's letter to him on the need to unconditionally withdraw cases against protesters in Kerala who had expressed solidarity with the Jantar Mantar agitation against NEET paper leaks.

In a letter shot off to the CM on Tuesday, the Opposition Leader termed the UDF government's allegedly high-handed approach towards protesters in Kerala "anti-democratic". "The police have registered cases in various districts against people who had expressed solidarity with the historic struggle of students and the youth," Pinarayi said in his missive to the CM. He said over 5000 cases had been registered.

The letter reminded the CM that the Centre had promised to withdraw cases against protesters, and assured that the students would not be subjected to any further harassment. "Here, these cases have to be withdrawn by the Kerala government. Just like in Delhi, lathi charges and water cannons were unleashed against peaceful protesters in Kerala. Cases were registered in connection with this," Pinarayi said. 

Pinarayi told the CM that it was inappropriate for his government to file cases against those who supported the agitation after he himself had sat in solidarity with the protesters in Delhi along with Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi.

"It is highly deplorable that false cases were registered against people who attended even cultural get-togethers," Pinarayi said. He was referring to the cases filed by the Ernakulam Town South police against 100-odd people, including celebrities like rapper Vedan, who attended a solidarity meet held at Panampilly Nagar in Kochi on July 22. "It is unfair to persist with the cases in Kerala when the BJP-led Centre itself had demonstrated willingness to withdraw cases against the students," Pinarayi said.