The Kannur police have arrested at least 19 Congress workers for staging black flag protests against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s motorcade in Taliparamba, Pariyaram and Payyanur police station limits.
Kannur district Police Chief (Rural) M. Hemalatha said that all who tried to wave black flag at the CM’s convoy were Congress workers.
The State police have also stepped up security in the Kasaragod district, where Mr. Vijayan will flag off the State-wide Janakiya Prathirodha Yatra (People’s Resistance Campaign) led by Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary M. V. Govindan, in the evening.
Also read | Pinarayi has turned Kerala into a police State: Congress
Youth Congress protests
Black flag protest
Youth Congress workers waving black flag at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s motorcade as it passes through Kannur district
The Youth Congress protests in Kannur occurred at Chudala and Pariyaram as Mr. Vijayan’s motorcade swept past the pedestrian-dense localities.
The police tentatively identified the arrested leaders as Youth Congress State secretary Sandeep Panappuzha, district president Sudeep James, vice-president V. Rahul, and district secretary Mahita Mohan, among others.
Simultaneously, the police have put several Youth Congress and Youth League leaders under preventive detention in the Kasaragod district ahead of Mr. Vijayan’s arrival for the CPI(M) event.
Heavy security arrangements
The police have deployed at least 1000 officers to pre-empt opposition protests at the venue.
CPI(M) State secretary M. V. Govindan defended the unprecedented security for Mr. Vijayan. He said Congress had deployed “suicide squads” to throw themselves in front of the CM’s motorcade to put the government on defence. The police were duty-bound to prevent such untoward happenings, which could result in loss of life or injuries.
“Criminalisation of democratic protests”
In Kottayam, Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan slammed the government’s “criminalisation of democratic protests” against Mr. Vijayan. He said Mr. Vijayan seemed paranoid about his security. The CM deemed even a lone individual in a public place holding a black flag or placard to express disapproval of the administration’s policies as a security threat and personal affront.
Mr. Satheesan said the CM moved in a cavalcade of more than 40 police vehicles and still feared the public.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Vijayan increasingly resembled authoritarian rulers intolerant of critics and truth-tellers. The unjustified confinements of opposition workers violated Supreme Court orders and their Constitutional rights. He said the UDF would seek legal recourse against the government’s highhandedness.
Mr. Satheesan said the opposition had no axe to grind against the government. It was agitating against the fuel, water, and power price hike, which exacerbated Kerala’s cost of living crisis. The government’s attempt to stifle democratic dissent would not pass muster with the public.
