Kerala: Midnight Raids on Congress Women Leaders' Sparks Outrage

 Thiruvananthapuram: A midnight search by Kerala police in the rooms of prominent Mahila Congress leaders Bindu Krishna and former MLA Shanimol Usman on Tuesday has escalated into a major controversy, with Congress workers hitting the roads to protest against what they term as police "highhandedness."

The search was conducted at a hotel in Palakkad under the suspicion of black money being transferred for the Palakkad assembly by-poll scheduled for November 20. Leaders from various political parties, including Congress, were present at the hotel.

CPM state secretary M.V. Govindan and the district secretary claimed that Congress leaders concealed black money during the search, asserting that the truth would soon be revealed. The CPM has filed a complaint with SP seeking an in-depth investigation into the alleged black money in Palakkad.

The complaint called for an examination of the hotel's CCTV footage. Congress candidate Rahul Mammootathil and Shafi Parambil, MP were present in the hotel since Tuesday night. The CPM alleged that Congress worker Feni, who is implicated in the fake identity card case, delivered the money in a blue trolley bag.

Mahila Congress leaders slam police

Shanimol Usman and Bindu Krishna told media persons after the search that they felt insulted by the police's conduct. “Some of the police personnel were in mufti and not even carrying their identity cards. They knocked at our doors during the night creating panic. We were treated like terrorists,” said Shanimol Usman.

UDF workers take to streets

The UDF took to the streets in protest against the midnight e raids. The Congress workers marched to the SP office in Palakkad. Tension prevailed in the area when activists tried to cross the barricade leading to a scuffle between the police and the protestors. With the situation turning violent, top Congress leaders persuaded the activists to disperse from the area.

KPCC president K Sudhakaran who inaugurated the protest, said the raid would prove counterproductive for the CPM. “People will give a befitting reply to the CPM for insulting our women leaders. Rahul will win by a huge margin. We will take legal action against the cops.

He accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of helping the BJP leaders including state president K Surendran in the Hawala racket case involving crores of rupees. As a face-saving exercise ahead of polls, the government announced a reinvestigation. “Both the CPM and BJP are hand in glove in conspiring against the Congress,” he alleged.

The police raid on Tuesday night led to a confrontation between the Congress workers on the one side and the CPM-BJP activists on the other.

The commotion continued in front of the hotel for more than three and half hours during which the party workers even clashed physically. With the search carried out in rooms of women leaders triggering protests, the CPM and BJP called for a search of all rooms in the hotel.

The Congress workers forced the police to provide a written account of their findings during the search. Subsequently, the police documented in writing that nothing was found. Nonetheless, both the CPM and the BJP accused the Congress of attempting to interfere with the raid.

Opposition leader accuses CPM minister of being the mastermind of raids

Opposition Leader V D Satheesan has alleged that the midnight inspection was a conspiracy orchestrated by Minister M B Rajesh and his brother-in-law. He stated that Rajesh, having insulted women leaders, ought to resign. Additionally, he suggested that investigations into the 'money box' of corruption should be conducted at Cliff House.

Minister M B Rajesh stated that the Congress undermined the police inspection, which was enigmatic and suspect. “The details are still emerging. The theatrics of Congress are an attempt to conceal something. The Congress receives funds from the same source as the BJP,” he alleged.

CPM State Secretary M V Govindan accused the Congress leaders of pumping black money for the bypoll. The money was stashed away before the arrival of the police. “All information about the illicit money would be out soon,” he said and justified the midnight search saying that it was common during elections.

He said women police personnel were also present during the search operation.