On Sunday, February 19, the Kozhikode Government Arts and Science College directed the participants of a public programme, in which Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was the chief guest, to refrain from wearing black clothes or even black masks. This has evoked criticism against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, the college authorities and the police. A report in Mathrubhumi said that a police complaint has been filed over the college directive. The report also said that the police denied asking the college to issue such instructions.
Since the state Budget for 2023-24 was presented on February 3, the streets of Kerala have witnessed widespread protests by the opposition Congress over the rise in fuel cess by Rs 2 per litre. Agitators protested by showing black flags to CM Pinarayi, and several protesters have been taken into preventive custody.
In Kozhikode, where the CM is expected to attend several official programmes on Sunday, the police took into custody a few Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists as a precautionary measure ahead of the event at the Government Arts College.
On Saturday, a youth Congress activist was held by the police in Palakkad for waving a black flag at CM Pinarayi and raising slogans against the LDF government, as the CM's convoy passed through Chalissery to attend a programme. In the wake of the Chief Minister's visit, security was beefed up in many parts of the Palakkad district considering the ongoing protests by opposition parties against various proposals in the state Budget. Four Youth Congress activists were placed under preventive detention in Chalissery, police said. They were released after the scheduled programme of the Chief Minister ended, they added.
Last week, Youth Congress workers had waved black flags at Pinarayi Vijayan at multiple locations in Ernakulam district as part of their protest. Kerala Opposition leader VD Satheeshan and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran have been relentlessly levelling criticisms over the high-handedness of the people against the people of the state while the Chief Minister was moving in a convoy to attend various programmes.
Last year, in mid-June, there was a similar controversy over people allegedly not being allowed to wear black clothes or masks at events attended by the Chief Minister. However, CM Pinarayi had denied the allegations at the time, and claimed that some people with vested interests were spreading false propaganda against the state government.
With agency inputs
