The Oommen Chandy government has come in for a scathing attack from the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) leadership for its decision to ‘withdraw’ the case registered against Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia for his speech in Kozhikode on July 8, 2003.
The government decided to withdraw the case on June 5, 2013, based on a report of the State Police Chief on April 11. The State Police Chief’s report was a follow-up to a representation by Hindu Aikya Vedi general secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan, one of the co-accused in the case. He did so citing an order of the Marad Special Court on February 28 this year that there must be no further proceedings in the matter as the First Information Report in the case was filed only in 2012.
However, the Opposition leaders accused the government of having surrendered before right-wing communal forces.
Chandy criticisedIn a statement here on Friday, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan said the decision had once again brought to the fore the communal appeasement policy of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Congress. Mr. Chandy had withdrawn the case against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers who had tried to ‘kill’ a police constable recently. The decision to withdraw the case against Mr. Togadia was in continuation of the same policy. The decision had torn apart the secular facade of Mr. Chandy and the Congress, Mr. Achuthanandan said.
He asked Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran to clarify his stand on Mr. Chandy’s ‘policy of communal appeasement.’ In a statement, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) State secretariat also accused the government of surrendering before the Sangh Parivar and asked it to review its decision.
