With Chief Minister V D Satheesan merely referring his letter to the Home Department for taking "appropriate action" on the cases filed against those who had publicly expressed solidarity with Jantar Mantar protests, Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan has shot off a letter to Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge to "urgently intervene in the matter".

Pinarayi asked Kharge to ensure that "all police cases registered in Kerala against the students, activists, cultural workers, and citizens who peacefully expressed their solidarity with the Delhi student protests be withdrawn unconditionally on the issue."

Pinarayi said the UDF government's unwillingness to withdraw cases was a "matter of grave democratic concern". He said this stood in stark contrast to the Indian National Congress’s stated position of supporting the protesters at the national level.

"It is deeply disturbing and disheartening to note the actions of the Congress-led government here in Kerala. While your party supported the students in Delhi, the Kerala Police have registered several baseless cases against individuals who organised and participated in peaceful solidarity gatherings supporting the very same Delhi protests. It is reported that more than 5,000 cases have been registered against the students and youth in the State," Pinarayi said.

On July 29, during his post-Cabinet briefing, the CM only said that the Home Department would examine the issue and take necessary action. He did not say when or whether the cases would be withdrawn. It was on July 28 that he forwarded Pinarayi's letter seeking unconditional withdrawal of cases to the Home Department for follow-up action.

At the post-Cabinet briefing, the CM was further pressed on the issue. "Why have you not ordered the withdrawal of the cases against students? What stops you from declaring that the quashing of cases against students was your government's policy," he was asked. Satheesan ignored these posers.