Cong Leader Ramesh Chennithala Demands Pinarayi Vijayan's Resignation over 'Mismanagement' of Home Dept

Thiruvananthapuram: Alleging mismanagement of the Kerala Home department, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who holds the portfolio.

Chennithala, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, also claimed the state had never seen such "police atrocities and custodial deaths" as being witnessed now.

Addressing a press meet here, he referred to reports in a section of media that Vijayan at a high-level meet of senior police officers in the state Tuesday had allegedly stated that officials had leaked information to protesting groups during the Sabarimala temple women's entry issue last year.

"The Chief Minister's statement that police have leaked information to communal forces itself shows he is incompetent to man the post... he must resign," Chennithala said.

He also alleged the Left-ruled state government tried to politicise the police force which led to "lack of discipline".

Chennithala lashed out at the government over the recent stabbing incident at the Kerala University College here in which a student was injured seriously allegedly by pro-CPIM student union members.

"How did those students, who were indulged in criminal activities, get high marks in the exams. This affects the transparency of exams. How do they get attendance when these students never go to the classes?" Chennithala asked.

The police while raiding the house of one of the accused had seized bundles of answer sheets of the university, over which state Governor P Sathasivam had sought a report from the Vice-Chancellor.

Chennithala's strong attack comes in the backdrop of the state police force facing flak over the handling of the Sabarimala protests last year, death of an accused due to alleged custodial torture and clash between two groups during police association election last month.

Announcing a judicial probe into the custodial death of the 49-year old man in Idduki district, Vijayan had said such incidents cannot be justified.

The Congress-led opposition UDF had earlier raised the issue in the state assembly and demanded a judicial probe.

"The maximum number of custodial deaths happened during the period of Pinarayi Vijayan government. This government does not take the custodial deaths seriously," Chennithala had said while speaking in the assembly last month.