Congress-led UDF raises CPI(M) councillor 'abduction' issue in Kerala Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF on Tuesday raised the issue of women safety in the state assembly by referring to the recent alleged "abduction" of a CPI(M) councillor at Koothattukulam near Kochi and accused the police of being complicit in what happened.

UDF raised this issue in a notice moved by some opposition MLAs -- including Anoop Jacob -- seeking adjournment of other businesses of the House to discuss what happened outside Koothattukulam municipality on January 18.

Dramatic scenes unfolded outside the LDF-ruled Municipality on January 18, ahead of a motion moved by the opposition UDF, as CPI(M) woman councillor Kala Raju was allegedly abducted in broad daylight upon her arrival to vote in the motion.

The demand to adjourn other businesses of the House was opposed and rejected by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who said a case has been registered in connection with the incident, investigation has been launched and four persons have been arrested.

Vijayan also said that cases have also been filed with regard to the protests held outside the Koothattukulam police station by the UDF and the CPI(M) and UDF accusations of attacks against them by the other side.

The CM also said that what actually happened on that day was the failure of the UDF attempt to influence a CPI(M) councillor to their side to gain control over the municipality.

He contended that such acts from the side of the opposition were deplorable and not in keeping with political ethics. In view of the CM's stand, Speaker A N Shamseer denied permission for adjourning other businesses.

Reacting to the denial of permission, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan accused the CM of justifying the abduction of the CPI(M) councillor by raising the issue of Raju purportedly switching sides.

"If people switch sides, are they to be abducted?" he asked.

Satheesan also pointed out instances where UDF councillors switched sides to the LDF, but never resigned and now the CM was contending that anyone switching sides should resign first.

The opposition leader alleged that the CPI(M) and the police were complicit in what happened and demanded action against those involved. The opposition also claimed that those arrested were not the actual culprits behind the alleged abduction.

Satheesan's speech was interrupted several times by MLAs of the ruling front leading to opposition MLAs trooping to the well of the House in protest.

The opposition leader got angry at some point over the Speaker not preventing the ruling side MLAs from interrupting him, to which Shamseer said, "What can I do, if they (LDF MLAs) do not listen to the Speaker." Satheesan also compared the MLAs interrupting his speech to Dushasana who in the epic Mahabharata tried to disrobe Draupadi.

Four CPI(M) workers were taken into custody on Monday for allegedly abducting the woman councillor.

The abducted woman councillor was freed on January 18, the same day of her alleged abduction. The suspects were apprehended based on CCTV footage, police had said.

Amid allegations by the Congress-led UDF about the laxity of police, authorities replaced Muvattupuzha DySP, P M Baiju with Aluva DySP, T R Rajesh. The CPI(M) on January 19 had rejected the allegation of abduction by the party councillor and ruled out physical assault.

The Marxist party had said that Raju and her children had been allegedly abducted by the Congress leaders and workers.

The Koothattukulam municipality is governed by the LDF with a strength of 13 Councillors, while the opposition UDF has 11 councillors. There is also one independent member in the 25-member council.