Congress MLAs launch sit-in protest in front of Kerala Assembly, asks CM to give up Home portfolio over 'custodial torture'

Thiruvananthapuram: The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala launched a sit-in by two MLAs in front of the state Assembly on Tuesday demanding dismissal of police officials involved in the brutal torture of a Youth Congress local leader at Kunnamkulam in Thrissur.

The Assembly witnessed nearly three hours long heated debate between the UDF and the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) on an adjournment motion moved by the Congress over a series of incidents of custodial torture that came out recently.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan defended the opposition's criticism by citing the instances of police torture during the term of the previous Congress governments. He also said that 144 police officials were dismissed from service since the first LDF government under his leadership came to power in 2016.

The opposition later walked out of the house and announced the sit-in by Manjeshwar MLA A K M Ashraf and Chalakkudy MLA Saneeshkumar Joseph.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that the opposition would stage the stir until the police officials involved in the custodial torture were dismissed. He also demanded Vijayan to give up home portfolio. "This is not Stalin's Russia, but democratic Kerala. No sorts of police atrocities can't be allowed," he said.

The Chief Minister said that in all the recent instances of police torture disciplinary actions were taken against the police officials involved. He accused the opposition of trying to defame the entire police force over some isolated instances. Recollecting series of incidents of police torture faced by Communist leaders over the last several decades, including the torture he himself faced during the time of emergency, Vijayan said, 'those were not in Stalin's Russia, but during Congress rule in India."

He also said that steps like community policing initiated by the earlier CPI(M) governments in Kerala helped in making the police more people friendly. The police also received many honours.

Speaker A N Shamseer allowed discussion on the adjournment motion notice moved by Congress MLA Roji M John after the Chief Minister said that the ruling front was ready for a discussion on the matter.

The opposition alleged that the Chief Minister was responsible for the police atrocities as he used to justify the police officials who indulge in torture.

The fresh row was triggered by the video footage of police beating up Youth Congress local leader V S Sujith at Kunnamkulam in Thrissur in 2023 came out recently after Sujith obtained the video footage of the CCTV of the police station through RTI.

Subsequently another video footage of a police officer slapping and beating a hotel manager and staff at Peechi police station in Thrissur came out.

Later on a series of allegations of police torture, even faced by pro-CPI(M) workers, came up. The police torture faced by a dalit woman in Thiruvananthapuram after being falsely accused of gold robbery also became controversial.