Kerala: Assembly disrupted over Madhu, Safeer

Thiruvananthapuram: The Assembly was disrupted for the third consecutive day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan refused to order a judicial probe into the lynching of tribal youth Madhu and the murder of Muslim League member Safeer. However, Mr Vijayan sought to paint a picture of unity when he said that there was not even a stray voice in the state that had supported the lynching of Madhu, the tribal youth. “This is where our state differs from many in North India,” he said.

The Chief Minister was responding to an adjournment motion moved by Muslim League leader N Shamsudheen on the lynching of Madhu and the murder of Muslim League member Safeer. Both the events had taken place in Mannarkad constituency that Shamsudheen represents. The IUML MLA refuted charges that his close aide was involved in Madhu’s lynching. “Just because someone had participated in my election campaign does not mean that he is part of my team,” he said. On Safeer’s murder, the IUML leader said that it was the handiwork of CPI “goondas”.

He said that the CPI had organised a huge meeting in Mannarkad a year ago. The banners for the meeting said ‘1000 men join CPI’. “Among those newly inducted into the CPI on the day were the goondas who killed Safeer,” Shamsudheen said. “And on the day Madhu was killed, the CPI had organised a condolence meeting in Mannarkad. Safeer’s killers attended this meeting, too,” he said. Shamsudheen further alleged that the police had failed to act even though Safeer’s family had received death threats at least thrice. He alleged police negligence in Madhu’s case, too.

The Chief Minister, however, said the police acted with due diligence in Madhu’s case. “They took him straight to the police,” he said. Oppostion leader Ramesh Chennithala intervened at this point to say that those at the funeral of Madhu had told him that the police had tortured Madhu inside the vehicle. “They told me that Madhu could walk before he entered the police vehicle,” Mr Chennithala said. Mr Vijayan termed this a politically motivated charge.  Chennithala then called for a judicial probe to enquire into the role of the police, forest and ST department officials. BJP MLA O. Rajagopal, too, called for a judicial probe.