Kerala secretariat fire ignites a major political row, protests marches turn violent

Kerala witnessed state-wide violent protests on Wednesday in view of the fire at secretariat that raised suspicions of attempts to sabotage evidence pertaining to government's nexus with those accused in the gold smuggling case.

While multiple agencies launched a probe into the incident and came out with preliminary findings that the fire broke out due to electric short circuit, the opposition Congress and BJP alleged that probe by agencies under the state government would not reveal the fact. They reiterated the demanded a probe by an independent agency.

The fire at the secretariat on Tuesday afternoon assumed significance as it happened at the political section of general administration department close on the heels of NIA and other investigation agencies seeking diplomatic baggage related details from this section as part of the probe into the gold smuggling using diplomatic baggage as well as the supply of Quran by the UAE consulate. For these reasons, the Opposition parties were taking political advantage of the issue.

The preliminary finding of the investigation teams was that electric short circuit following the collapse of a fan due to overheating led to the fire. A first-information-report of the police said that only files pertaining to government guest house booking were damaged in the fire. While ADGP (Headquarters) Manoj Abraham is leading the police investigation, a team led by disaster management commissioner A Kowsigan was also entrusted by the government to probe into the matter. Apart from these, technical wings of secretariat also launched a probe to ascertain the cause of the fire.

Various political parties launched protest marches to the Secretariat from Tuesday night. On Wednesday, many protests turned violent with the activist trying to break police barricades and burning Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in effigy. The Congress observed state-wide black day observed Wednesday. The protest march at various districts also turned violent. However, there were no major casualties. But the Covid-19 protocols were flouted during the protests.

Congress and BJP leaders said that there were many mysteries in the incident. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, who visited the spot on Tuesday night, said that there was no chance for a fan to get overheat at an office with centralised air condition. It was a clear case of destroying evidence of the unholy nexus of government with gold smuggling accused. Chennithala had also sought governor Arif Mohammed Khan's intervention into the matter.

BJP state president K Surendran said that the section where the fire occurred was remaining closed over the last few days after an official got COVID infection. Even then two officials of the department were present at the spot.

Meanwhile, a police case has been registered against the BJP state president on charges of barging into Secretariat premises on Tuesday evening and for flouting social distance norms during the time of Covid-19.

Government lauds Chief Secretary's efforts

While the act of Kerala Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta forcing the media and BJP state president K Surendran to go out of secretariat premises after the fire breakout invited criticisms, the state cabinet was learnt to have appreciated the Chief Secretaries act.

Industry Minister E P Jayarajan said that the chief secretary did a laudable job after the fire broke out. He only discharged his duties, which need to be appreciated.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also alleged that the BJP and Congress were trying to flare up riots in the state by using the fire incident.