Police, at last, arrested DYFI office bearer Nidhin Pullen for vandalising the police jeep, on December 22, in Chalakkudy, in connection with the disputes between police and SFI. The disputes broke out when police asked to remove the SFI flag posts erected in front of the Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Chalakkudy, in connection with the elections to the student union. Later on, SFI men were fined by the police for riding the bikes, in connection with the students’ union election victory, without wearing helmets.
Then they vandalised the police jeep. Nidhin Pullen climbed on top of the vehicle and challenged the police and hurled abuses on them. After the incident, NIthn Pullen was arrested and taken into custody by force. However, after some time, a CPM team led by the party’s Area Secretary Asokan stormed into the police station and released Nidhin Pullen by force. He has been absconding since then. A total of 10 SFI and DYFI men are booked.
There are also reports that police have registered a case against Hassan Mubaraq, a prominent leader of SFI who threatened that the Sub Inspector of Police who initiated the case against the DYFI leaders would be beaten like stray dogs. He said, addressing a protest meeting, that Inspector’s hands and legs would be broken. He added that they are not afraid of serving jail terms if necessary.
The above police actions have been taken as a result of public protests and media attack against the nepotistic actions of Pinarayi Vijayan’s CPM government. The opposition parties and media have been exposing the autocratic style of Pinarayi Vijayan since he embarked on the Cabinet Yatra in the Rs 1.05 cr luxury bus in connection with the Nava Kerala Sadas of CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) regime. Throughout the journey, the black flag protesters, belonging to Youth Congress and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, were beaten, arrested or both.
In most cases the atrocities against the protesters were executed by DYFI men. This journal had reported in the past several incidents in this connection. At one place, DYFI goons, beat the handful of black flag protesters with plant pots, iron rod and helmets causing head injuries. Then CM Pinarayi said that it was DYFI men’s ‘rescue operations’ since Youth Congress men were suicide attackers who jumped in front of his vehicle. But, for DYFI men’s timely rescue operations, they (Youth Congress men) would have been hit by the Cabinet carrier. In another place, CM’s gunmen jumped out from his vehicle and hit the Youth Congress protesters with long sticks. Its visuals have been viral in the social media, but, CM says, he did not know about this. ‘CM has not seen it’. There are several incidents like this.
In short, people of Kerala are given to understand that justice is not for ordinary people and opposition parties, but for CPM or DYFI or SFI. But, Chalakkudy incident is a silver line in the otherwise desperate conditions; if the people and media are determined, the Pinarayi Government cannot shut its eyes against them. The same time, it is once again proved, Government has agreed that the allegations leveled against them are quite genui
