The Kerala High Court has come down heavily on the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) for violating court verdicts and guidelines by conducting a party meeting on the main road in front of the Vanchiyoor Court complex in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The event, referred to as an “invasion” meeting, took place on 5 December.
On Thursday, the court made these stringent observations while hearing a contempt of court petition filed by a resident of Kochi. Although the CPM was not explicitly named in the court’s remarks, the party faced strong criticism alongside the police. The Division Bench directed the Station House Officer (SHO) of Vanchiyoor Police Station to provide a detailed explanation.
The petition accused CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan, the State Police Chief, the Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner, and the Vanchiyoor SHO of flouting court orders. It alleged that the CPM conducted its Area Convention on a public road, disregarding prior court verdicts and circulars. A case has been registered against 19 party workers, including the CPM Area Secretary.
The court posed several pertinent questions regarding the incident:
- What happened to the previous court circulars?
- Have they been ignored or kept in cold storage?
- Who authorised the erection of a dais on the main road?
- Who attended and presided over the programme?
- Did the SHO register any offences related to the event?
- How did the organisers procure the electricity supply?
The court stated that it would consider proceeding with the contempt of court case.
The court also referred to two incidents in Kochi City. One occurred in front of the Kochi Municipal Corporation office, where temporary structures were erected on the footpath, and chairs were placed there, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road. The other incident took place in Panampilli Nagar, an upscale residential area in Kochi, where roads in the prestigious Panampilli Avenue were decorated with red bulbs. The court questioned how the organisers managed to obtain electricity for this purpose.
The court emphasised that footpaths are meant for pedestrians, not for political activities or the storage and display of goods.
While the CPM was criticised for blocking roads in Vanchiyoor, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the second-largest constituent of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), repeated a similar act near the Secretariat complex. The Joint Council, a government employees’ organisation controlled by the CPI, staged a day-and-night dharna, resulting in road transport disruptions on December 10 and 11. Police registered a case against 100 identifiable activists for encroaching on the footpath and erecting a pandal for their 36-hour protest. CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam inaugurated the dharna.
The people of Kerala are now questioning what justice they can expect when the two largest constituents of the ruling LDF openly defy court orders and violate regulations, causing roadblocks and transport disruptions.
