The high-profile arrest of Youth Congress leader K.S. Sabarinadhan on the charge of tasking three fellow activists to imperil Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on board an IndiGo flight that landed in Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur on June 13 set off a ripple of protests in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar denied the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition the opportunity to table a motion to adjourn the House to debate the whys and wherefores of the “politically motivated” arrest. Soon the UDF members walked out in protest over the Chair’s decision.
The police arrested Mr. Sabarinadhan on the charge of conspiracy on Tuesday. A magistrate court here released him on bail later amidst strident street protests by Congress workers. It also reportedly observed that a WhatsApp message was no proof of conspiracy. Moreover, the court purportedly noted that the former legislator was unlikely to jump bail and abscond.
