The Kozhikode district committee of the CPI(M) has denied media reports that said the party will offer legal help to two of its activists charged under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on Saturday for allegedly circulating material propagating Maoist ideology.
CPI(M) Kozhikode district secretary P. Mohanan clarified this to the media on Sunday when asked about the reported demand from sections of the party to help the families of Alan Suhaib and Thaha Fazal seek legal recourse.
Mr. Mohanan said the police would have to investigate if Alan and Thaha had any link with banned organisations. The CPI(M), however, was opposed to the way sections of UAPA were slapped on them. Mr. Mohanan said the provision of the Act should be used with diligence.
CPI(M) flays arrests
The arrest of two youths in Kozhikode has drawn criticism from the CPI(M) State secretariat.
They should not have been arrested under UAPA, the State secretariat said in a statement on Sunday.
However, attempts being made to blame the LDF government in connection with the arrests were politically motivated. The Chief Minister had already sought an explanation from the police, the secretariat said.
The CPI(M) had vehemently criticised the Union government when the law was passed. As such, it cannot be thought that innocent people would be booked under the draconian law during LDF rule, the party body said.
Denied permission
Moreover, after the LDF came to power, the government had repeatedly denied permission to the police to invoke UAPA. “A similar approach is expected from the government in this instance also,” the CPI(M) secretariat said.
