CPM men kidnapped a woman councillor belonging to their own party on January 18. Cases have been registered against approximately 50 CPM workers and local leaders. The woman councillor complained that she was kidnapped and her clothes were torn by the CPM kidnappers. CPM Area Secretary P.B. Ratheesh is listed as the first accused. The incident took place in Koothattukulam, Ernakulam district, just before the municipal council meeting.
The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had moved a no-confidence motion against the ruling CPM-led Democratic Front (LDF). It is noteworthy that Kerala is currently ruled by the LDF. Kala Raju, an LDF woman councillor, arrived at the Council Hall to participate in the meeting. UDF women councillors brought her in their own vehicles.
However, she could not enter the Council Hall as CPM men gathered, kidnapped her, and forced her into a vehicle. It is alleged that the police did not intervene to rescue Kala Raju. On the contrary, CPM men dragged Kala into the street and pushed her into the car belonging to the (woman) Municipal Chairperson, using it for the kidnapping. A CPM Area Committee member was reportedly the driver.
The Koothattukulam Municipal Council consists of 24 divisions and is ruled by a 13-member LDF majority. The Congress-led Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) holds 11 seats, with one independent member in opposition. The UDF had introduced the no-confidence motion in connection with alleged anomalies in the construction of a government hospital. Although the LDF’s 13 councillors decided to abstain from voting, Kala Raju had stated that she would vote in favor of the no-confidence motion. She had reportedly been on poor terms with the party for the past few months.
UDF members and workers staged a dharna in front of the police station in protest. Kala’s children, Lakshmi and Balu, filed a complaint at the police station reporting that their mother was missing. Although the Kerala High Court had ordered police protection for the councillors to vote freely, the police allegedly failed to comply and instead facilitated the kidnapping of Kala Raju. Video evidence supports this claim, showing police taking no action to stop the vehicle involved in the kidnapping.
It is further alleged that police asked Kala’s children to go to the CPM Area Committee Office and apologize to party officials, stating that only then could they meet their mother. However, the children refused and instead joined the dharna.
At Koothattukulam, CPM councilor Kala Raju was abducted by party workers, assaulted and humiliated during a UDF no-confidence vote. Such political violence undermines democracy and human dignity.#Koothattukulam #PoliticalViolence #DemocracyMatters #HumanDignity #KeralaPolitics pic.twitter.com/LDHiNfI22C
— Kerala Pravasi Association – KPA (@KeralaKpa) January 20, 2025
As the issue escalated, CPM leaders eventually brought Kala Raju from the Area Committee office and admitted her to a hospital. She was reportedly injured. However, CPM leaders initially did not allow her to meet media persons. Later, when she was able to speak to the media, she stated that she would have to think twice before returning to the CPM. She revealed that when she complained about her leg being jammed in the car door, a young boy, who was part of the kidnapping team, threatened to chop her leg off. She also alleged that her saree was torn by the attackers.
Finally, police registered a case against 48 CPM men, including Area Secretary P.B. Ratheesh, based on the complaints filed by Kala Raju’s children.
The CPM, LDF, and Pinarayi Vijayan, the CPM supremo and Chief Minister, often proclaim from the rooftops that Kerala is Numero Uno in the country and above European standards in several aspects. They highlight the safety and security of women as one of the most significant advantages of the LDF rule in Kerala. However, the events in Koothattukulam tell a different story, exposing the lack of safety and security even for a CPM woman councillor under LDF rule.
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