Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has lost control over the police resulting in custodial deaths and failure to tackle the cult of political violence and murders.
Inaugurating a State-level picketing of the United Democratic Front against custodial deaths, tortures, and murder here on Tuesday, Mr. Chennithala said the State would not have a respite from custodial deaths and political murders as long as Mr. Vijayan continued in office.
The law and order was in total disarray, with the police force being headed with the most inept police chief.
But the Chief Minister cannot absolve himself of the responsibility of presiding over a deteriorating law and order situation, he said.
UDF confident
He was confident that the first popular reaction to the LDF rule would be delivered by the electorate in Chengannur, which is witnessing a bypoll on May 28. Mr. Chennithala courted arrest along with Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, V.S. Sivakumar, M. Vincent, Palode Ravi, Beemapally Rasheed, and Neyyantinkara Sanal. Hundreds of UDF supporters participated in the picketing of the Secretariat and 12 other district collectorates and courted arrest.
The picketing programme in front of the Kannur collectorate was differed to May 14 in view of the hartal observed in the district on Tuesday. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the picketing in Kottayam, IUML leader K.P.A. Majeed in Malappuram, former KPCC presidents K. Muraleedharan and V.M. Sudheeran in Palakkad and Kozhikode respectively, KPCC president M.M. Hassan and UDF convener P.P. Thankachan in Ernakulam, and vice president V.D. Satheesan in Thrissur.
RSP leader A.A. Azeez inaugurated the protest in Kollam, C.P. John in Thodupuzha, Johnny Nelloor in Alappuzha, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishan in Pathanamthitta, Abdul Rahman Randathani in Kasaragod, and M.D. Appachan, former legislator, in Wayanad.
