The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has described the arrest of activist Teesta Setalvad and former police officer R.B. Sreekumar for following up a case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged role in the Gujarat’s communal violence of 2002, as undemocratic. The Gujarat police arrested Mr. Sreekumar from Gandhinagar and Ms. Setalvad from Mumbai within a day of the Supreme Court dismissing a petition against a lower court’s refusal to file a case against Mr. Modi for his alleged role in the violence.
IUML national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty told mediapersons here on Sunday that the government was vindictively hunting down those who fought for the victims of the Gujarat riots. “It is sheer vendetta by the government. It cannot be brooked at any cost,” he said.
Power tariff hike
Mr. Kunhalikutty also lashed out at the State government for increasing the power tariff. “It is a double whammy for the State’s people already struggling to make both ends meet because of the spiralling prices of commodities,” he said.
The IUML leader said the government would have to face the wrath of the people for failing to consider their plight. The government had ignored the ordinary people, he said. “The government has no agenda for the people. It is discussing only big things and projects. During the election, they had said that the people would be given several freebies. But now, the government is fleecing the people. The State is no different from the Centre,” he said.
Thrikkakara bypoll
Mr. Kunhalikutty said that the CPI(M) could not even accept its defeat in Thrikkakara byelection. “It will be better for the CPI(M) to acknowledge the drubbing. If it does not, it will certainly lead to more defeats for the party,” he said.
