The high-power committee of the United Democratic Front (UDF) on Wednesday decided to continue the ongoing agitation by five of its legislators on the Assembly premises demanding Health Minister K.K. Shylaja’s resignation.
The meeting authorised Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala to take appropriate decisions that would keep the pressure on the Pinarayi Vijayan government. The stir entered the third day on Wednesday.
Mr. Chennithala said the stir would continue till the last day of the current session of the Assembly.
“We will continue the agitation to expose the political chicanery of the Left Democratic Front, which had lost its moral authority to talk about value-based politics,” he said.
He said that never before had the State witnessed the High Court repeatedly making harsh remarks against a Minister as in the case of Ms. Shylaja. It was unfortunate that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was protecting the Minister despite the series of lapses she had committed. The High Court’s remarks were a major set back for the government and Mr. Vijayan’s attempt to lighten its impact was futile, he said.
The UDF meeting demanded a detailed inquiry against Transport Minister Thomas Chandy and CPI(M) legislator P.V. Anvar.
The UDF also expressed its objection to the State government’s harassment of people belonging to minority communities following the foot steps of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
Referring to the Paravur case, he said the State government was unnecessarily invoking Section 153 (a) of the Indian Penal Code related to promoting enmity on grounds of religion.
The State government was making political discrimination in filing cases. It had failed to register a case against RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for hoisting the national flag in an aided school in Palakkad on Independence Day ignoring the government ban on private individuals performing such tasks, but had no qualms in filing a FIR against former IUML legislator Moyinkutty in a similar case.
“The CPI(M)’s claim of being protectors of minority communities is confined only to speeches,” he said. He suspected that the CPI(M) and the RSS had entered into a secret deal to communally divide the State.