The Kerala Assembly had witnessed stormy scenes on Thursday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Congress of having links with extremist elements. Following protests by the Congress in the Assembly, the Chief Minister responded to the issue on Friday.
It was during a specific reply to the violence in Aluva during an adjournment motion in the Assembly on Thursday, that the CM made the comment about the Congress party.
His controversial remark in the Assembly was with regard to an incident in which a man named Usman, a 40-year-old NRI, who was returning home for Ramadan holidays was beaten by plainclothes police and locked up in the Edathala police station near Aluva. Following this, several locals and opposition party members staged a protest near the Edathala police station.
When Congress raised the issue, Pinarayi reminded them about the bus burning incident in the district in 2005. Thadiyanthvide Nazeer, a man believed to the be south India commandant of the Lashkar E Toiba and his supporters had burnt a Tamil Nadu bus protesting against the arrest of Abdul Nasser Madani.
"I know Aluva very well. Don’t forget that this was the place where a bus burning terror incident took place sometime back. Among the people who created a ruckus after Usman's arrest were those with 'terror' links. Those who are now making a noise (Congress MLAs in assembly) now do not want me to speak. In some way or the other, these people are helping such 'terror' groups," said the Chief Minister.
The protesters from opposition parties alleged that the CM's remark charged them with having links to extremist organisations and abetting activities of these extremists. They also alleged that the Chief Minister insinuated that people from Aluva have links with extremists.
Responding to this, the CM on Friday, June 9, clarified that the members of the opposition had misinterpreted his statements.
"It will be clear if the records of yesterday's Assembly session is checked. Actually what had I said? Anyone can check the records," the CM stated in his lengthy response.
The CM clarified that he had only said that those who protested outside the police station and attacked the police have links with extremists.
"It seems that certain groups here believe that they have the right to confront and attack the police. Should the police dept be subjected to such attacks? The question is whether those who attacked the police have extremist links. This is factual. Can anybody deny this? What’s wrong in this statement made? Nobody should forget that there are records available to validate this statement. It is my duty to report this fact in the Assembly," he added in his response.
Following this, he also added that it was clear members of the opposition who protested in the Assembly did so with the intent to protect these extremists.
"The extremist links of some leaders who stood in the front during the confrontation in Aluva and who attacked the police force including some of the lady officers validates my statement made yesterday. One of the main protesters is a co-accused along with the Kashmiri terrorist Mohammed Rahim who was killed by the army in an encounter. This Aluva protester is an accused in two UAPA cases. He has been involved in anti-nationalist activities. Why is the opposition going to this extent to protect such a person? He is not only an extremist but also has relation with terrorist groups," he asked in his response.
He added, "There are extremist elements in our society and they are detrimental to our state. And some of the members in the Assembly who are raising an uproar are protecting these elements. I am not including all those who have raised an uproar. But such an encouragement is not advisable.”
He also said that the opposition was hiding the facts about Aluva protesters to the public and that was ‘equivalent to encouraging these groups’.
"Hearing my statement there was an uproar and disruption of my speech. The members raised slogans and scaled to the Speaker’s dais and upset the proceedings of the Assembly. Shri KC Joseph (a Congress legislator) alleges that I said that all the people in Aluva are extremists and are being supported by the opposition in the state and that I was wrong in making these statements,” he said.
Concluding his statement with an emphasis on the real meaning of his words, Pinarayi said, "Our political parties should adopt a correct stance in these issues. No political ideology encourages extremism. But there are individuals within these parties who harbour such sentiments. It is the common ideology of the parties that should be reflected and not the individual interests. This is what I stated in the Assembly."
The protests by the opposition continued on Friday as they sought to raise the issue as an adjournment motion during zero hour. But Speaker P Ramakrishnan denied the request and said a debate cannot be allowed on a comment made by a member of the assembly. He also said that he was considering a request by Congress MLA KC Joseph to expunge the CM’s remarks.