Kerala court orders probe against CM Pinarayi Vijayan over his controversial remarks

A local court in Kerala on Wednesday ordered an investigation against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over his controversial remarks on the clash between CPI(M) and Congress activists during the government’s ‘Nava Kerala Sadas’ (public outreach tour) last year.

The Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court directed the police to submit a report after its investigation. The order came on a petition filed by Congress leader Muhammed Shiyas who alleged that the chief minister’s remarks amounted to incitement of violence.

Vijayan, in a speech made in Kannur in November, had defended his party workers’ alleged attack on a group of protesters at Kallyasseri in the district as a “life-saving act”. In the following days, the government’s tour witnessed a series of similar protests where Youth Congress and KSU activists were assaulted allegedly by the CPI(M) and DYFI workers.

Shiyas, in his complaint, alleged that the chief minister had made a “provocative and instigating” speech and thus incited violence on Congress workers who protested against the state government.

“Being a senior political leader and the chief minister holding the home portfolio, the speech made by him amounted to abetment and instigation of physical assault,” the complaint said.

The court order came days after the Crime Branch (CB) submitted a report, giving clean chit to Vijayan’s gunman and security personnel in a similar case. The officials—Sandip and Anil Kumar—are facing charges of manhandling the protesting Youth Congress and KSU activists when the ‘Nava Kerala Sadas’ reached Alappuzha in December.

The CB report claimed that the officials were merely discharging their duties by preventing the protesters from rushing towards the chief minister’s vehicle. The opposition termed the Crime Branch report as a challenge to the rule of law.