Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has alleged that the arrest of Mathew Kuzhalnadan, MLA, and Ernakulam District Congress Committee president Mohammed Shiyas is an attempt by the State government to “divert attention from the public anger against it” following the death of veterinary student J.S. Siddharth and the CMRL pay-off case involving the daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Terming the arrests an incidence of “police high-handedness,” Mr. Satheesan on March 5 accused the police of showing disrespect to the body of the Adimaly native, who was trampled to death by a wild elephant on March 4, by dragging the mobile mortuary along the streets. Mr. Kuzhalnadan and Mr. Shiyas had voiced the unresolved fears and concerns of the people living under the threat of increasing wildlife attacks, he said.
The protest at Kothamangalam was an emotional response to the tragic death. It was held after taking the consent of the victim’s husband and son. The police violated the norms after the arrest of Mr. Shiyas by “roaming around” with him in the police vehicle for nearly one-and-a-half hours. The Chief Minister has not spared any chance to act against Mr. Kuzhalnadan after he had raised the allegations of corruption in the CMRL pay-off case involving the Chief Minister’s daughter, alleged Mr. Satheesan.
Mr. Satheesan accused Minister for Industries P. Rajeeve of having stopped the Ernakulam District Collector from holding discussions with the protesters. “The family would not have received the compensation of ₹10 lakh unless there was a protest. There are about 7,000 persons who are yet to receive compensation from the government for various incidents connected with wildlife attacks,” he said.
‘Patronage to SFI’
The Leader of the Opposition accused the Chief Minister of extending political patronage to leaders and activists of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) who were “unleashing violence on campuses.” The State secretary of the SFI was roaming around freely at a time when there is a non-bailable warrant pending against him, he said.
Mr. Satheesan alleged that the Forest department had failed miserably to find a scientific solution to the growing incidents of wildlife attacks on people. The government is yet to have a concrete action plan to tackle the problem which has affected the livelihood of several families, he said.
