Kerala police on Thursday booked Congress state president K Sudhakaran for his controversial remarks against chief minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan.
His remarks comparing the CM to an “unleashed dog” while talking about the upcoming by-election in Thrikkakara triggered a political controversy in the state. The Congress, however, termed it as a politically-motivated incident and said that the party will deal with it legally.
Kochi police commissioner C H Nagaraju said a case under Section 153 (provocation to cause riot and enmity) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against the leader. Earlier, a CPI(M) youth leader had filed a complaint against the PCC president at Palarivattom police station.
The Congress chief was talking to a news channel on Tuesday about the upcoming by-election in Thrikkakara. “We have enough confidence. Our vote margin will increase. But the ruling camp is in utter confusion. Camping at the constituency, it is the CM who is behaving like a…,” he said.
“We all know that the CM used harsher terms than this to attack his opponents. And he is still standing with them. But Sudhakaran explained his position and later withdrew his remarks also. It is a politically-motivated move,” said opposition leader V D Satheesan.
The CPI(M) defended the police action saying it was a natural outcome. “He insulted the state by heaping abuses on the CM. He cannot get away by using such terms easily,” said Left Democratic Front convener E P Jayarajan.
Thrikkakara is facing a fierce three-cornered contest between UDF candidate and widow of PT Thomas, Uma Thomas, LDF candidate and cardiologist Joe Joseph and BJP nominee AN Radhakrishnan.
The by-poll was necessitated after the death of sitting legislator PT Thomas. This is the first by-election since Vijayan got his second term in office. The CPI(M), which is facing heat on the proposed high-speed K-Rail, said it would be a vote for development but opposition Congress and BJP are making massive displacement of people and brute force on affected people an issue in the by-poll.
