Law and order situation collapsed in Kerala: UDF

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF Opposition members continued their protest against the recent killing of Youth Congress activists in the state assembly leading to early adjournment of the house for the third consecutive day today.

UDF members attacked the government raising the issue of killing of YC leader Shuhaib allegedly by ruling CPI(M) workers, the mob lynching of tribal man Madhu and the murder of Youth league activist Safeer by a group of persons said to be workers of CPI, a partner in the ruling CPI-M led LDF.

Though, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured the house that no one involved in the crime would be spared, Opposition alleged that the law and order situation in the state had collapsed and “Kerala has become a killers’ paradise” and sought a discussion on the killings that took pace in the state.

Replying to a notice for an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition, Vijayan said five persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of Safeer at Mannarkad on Febauray 24 and 16 in the case related to lynching of tribal man at Attapady in Palakkad district.

Madhu was beaten to death by a group of persons for allegedly stealing food articles from some shops in the forest-fringe Agali town. “The persons involved in killings would not get any protection from anyside,” Vijayan asserted. Intervening on the issue, State Minister for Agriculture and CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar rejected the UDF charge that CPI was protecting the killers of Safeer and said the party has no role in the incident.

Slamming the government over the recent ‘political killing’ and death of tribal man in Attapady due to assault by a mob, Ramesh Chennithala said it was the result of ‘mal-governance’ and ‘failure’ of home department.

“I wonder whether the state has become a land of devils,” he asked and alleged the “state has become a paradise for killers.” Chennithala also alleged that both CPI(M) and CPI protect the persons involved in killings. Referring to the murder of Shuhaib at Mattanoor in Kannur district on February 12, Chennithala asked “Why the government was afraid to order a CBI probe into it?”

“The government is saying that all accused in the case had been arrested. The persons who actually planned and conspired the killing should be booked, he said. With speaker P Sreeramakrishnan disallowing leave for the motion, UDF members trooped into the well of the house and raised slogans against the state government forcing the speaker to hurry through other businesses slated for the day and adjourned the house.