AICC Secretary booked for calling Swapna Suresh CM Pinarayi Vijayan's 'girlfriend'

AICC secretary Viswanathan Perumal has been booked by the Kerala police on charges of making objectionable remarks against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The Kannur city police registered a case against Perumal in connection with his remarks against VIjayan linking him with gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh. The case was registered on the basis of a petition filed by a local CPM leader. Various sections of IPC including 153 for wantonly giving provocation with the intent of causing riot were invoked.

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Perumal, who is AICC secretary in charge of Kerala, made the remarks during the inauguration of a march to the police commissioner office in Kannur the other day to protest against police cases being initiated against Congress top leaders in the state.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran was recently arraigned as second accused in a cheating case involving fake antique dealer Monson Mavunka and was arrested and released on bail. A vigilance probe was ordered by the state government against the opposition leader recently in connection with allegations of collecting foreign funds without proper permissions for a rehabilitation scheme initiated for those who lost their homes in the 2018 floods.

Meanwhile, KPCC has decided to organise marches to police stations across the state on July 26 to protest against actions against the media. A media freedom meet would be also organised during the day, said the KPCC president who accused the ruling CPM of playing cheap politics against media houses that criticises the government.

A police case was registered against a woman news channel reporter who reported allegations regarding faulty exam results of a CPM's student leader. Another channel reporter was facing police action for reporting the transit route of the police after arresting Kozhikode train arson accused from Maharashtra.

The police raids at the offices of an online media, 'Marunadan Malayali', seizure of all computers and other gadgets and raids at houses of the reporters of the media in connection with a case registered against its editor Shajan Skaria had also triggered strong resentment. A case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered against Skaria on the basis of a petition filed by CPM MLA P V Sreenijan alleging that fake news was given against him with the intention of defaming.