Hundreds of CPI(M) workers staged a peaceful protest in front of the Kerala High Court on Monday against the six-month simple imprisonment awarded to senior party leader M.V. Jayarajan for contempt of court.
Party workers from various places in the district reached High Court Junction to participate in the ‘janakeeya kootayma' (people's gathering) that began at 8 a.m.
The silent protest here was part of a campaign against the conviction of Mr. Jayarajan for his remarks about the judiciary and judges.
A Division Bench, comprising Justice V. Ramkumar and Justice P.Q. Barkath Ali, had awarded him prison sentence for having committed criminal contempt of court by “ridiculing in public the performance of two judges of the High Court with regard to the discharge of their duties” at a public meeting in Kannur on June 26, 2010, and for having stuck to his views throughout the proceedings without any remorse.
The CPI(M) workers who participated in the protest held placards calling for protection of human rights and the right to hold wayside meetings.
The functioning of the High Court was not affected. The judges and other employees were able to enter the High Court even as the agitation was progressing at the venue.
Hundreds of policemen were deployed inside the High Court in view of an intelligence report that a few lawyers from Kannur would try to enter the court and hold protest meetings. No such incident occurred and the High Court functioned normally throughout the day.
Kochi City Police Commissioner M.R. Ajith Kumar had issued a notice to Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI(M) State secretary, not to disturb the functioning of the High Court or public life during the protest.
Speaking to reporters, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPI(M) Legislature Party deputy party leader and Polit Bureau member, said the peaceful and silent protest could portray the growing resentment among the public against Mr. Jayarajan's imprisonment.
Vaikom Viswan, Left Democratic Front convener, said the protest was successful and it could bring to the public domain the rights enjoyed by the people in a democratic country.
Senior party leaders T.M. Thomas Isaac, M.C. Josephine, and M.V. Govindan Master were among those who participated in the protest that concluded at 2 p.m.
