Maoists are not holy souls and lambs: Kerala CM

Maoists are not "holy souls" and "lambs", Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the state assembly as he defended the police action in which four suspected ultras were killed and accused the Congress-led UDF of trying to 'glorify' them.

Referring to killings of security personnel and farmers by Maoists in states like Chhattisgarh and Bihar, he sought to know if the opposition United Democratic Front wanted such a situation in Kerala.

Replying to a notice for an adjournment motion moved by Congress to discuss the killings of the Maoists and arrest of two alleged pro-Maoist student activists of CPI(M) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, he, however, said the LDF government would not allow misuse of the dreaded law.

"The Maoists had not come to surrender. They had shot at the police", he said referring to the encounter in Attapady in Palakkad district last week in which four ultras were gunned down. Vijayan expressed shock over what he said 'glorification' of the Maoists by the Congress-led UDF.

A day after demanding the resignation of Vijayan over the two student activists, arrested for allegedly distributing pro-Maoists pamphlets, being booked under the UAPA, the opposition front sought to step up pressure by seeking to move the adjournment motion in the assembly.

Opposing it, Vijayan said: "The ultras had killed several CRPF personnel, police and farmers in various states, including Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar and the Maoists are being portrayed as "holy souls" by the UDF. Do you want this situation to come to Kerala?" he asked.

Referring to the charge of Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who moved the notice for the motion, that the Maoists were shot at point-blank range and killed when they came to surrender, the chief minister said: "Do not portray Maoists as lambs. Why is the opposition trying to glorify the Maoists ?" On the arrest of the two CPI(M) student activists at Kozhikode under UAPA on Saturday, Vijayan said the government will not allow "misuse" of the law and has already made it clear it would look into the issue seriously.

Justice P S Gopinathan headed UAPA State committee, will also examine it, he said. Vijayan said pamphlets and pro-Maoist books were seized from the homes of the two students -- Allan Shuhaib and Taha Fazal -- and a case registered under various sections of UAPA. While a mobile phone was seized from Allan's house, Taha raised pro-Maoist slogan when he was taken to his house for evidence gathering.

Besides, books, a laptop and a memory card were seized, he said. Moving the notice, Radhakrishnan said CPI, a major partner of the LDF, has criticised the police action against the Maoists dubbing it as a "fake encounter".

According to a CPI committee which had visited Attapady, one of the Maoists Manivasakam was allegedly tortured and killed in custody. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala alleged that since the LDF government came to power in 2016, seven Maoists had been gunned down in the state.

He also sought to know if the government would take action against the police personnel who had charged the two students activists under UAPA.

After speaker P Sreeramakrishnan denied permission for the motion, the opposition UDF staged a walkout. Lone BJP member O Rajagopal also walked out saying the government had lost collective responsibility. The LDF government had been receiving flak since the past few days over the Maoist killings and the arrest of the two student activists under UAPA.