UDF walk out in the Assembly over jailing of dalit women

Thiruvananthapuram: Members of the United Democratic Front staged a walk out in the Assembly over arrest and jailing of two dalit women—Akhila and Anjana, at Thalassery ten days ago, after Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan refused permission to move an adjournment motion on the subject.

BJP leader O. Rajagopal also walked out expressing concern over the law and order situation in Kannur district.

The Opposition Front maintained that the Supreme Court guidelines regarding arrest of women had been violated in jailing Akhila and Anjana with a child of Akhila.

Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan refuted the allegation and said that the government was committed to maintain law order without any partisan approach. The allegations over the arrest were politically motivated.

The Chief Minister recalled that the police had registered case against DYFI worker Shijin and others within a day of alleged attack and abuse the women and her family, invoking legal provisions on atrocities against dalits. However, the two women had subsequently gone to the CPI (M) Branch Committee Office and resorted to violence. The police had registered a case against the girls on the basis of complaint of Shijin. They had been remanded to custody as bail was not applied for. The child were not there when arrested, but was given to Anjana by her father after she was remanded.

Leading the walk out, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the Chief Minister was trivialising the incident. The Supreme Court guidelines said that the women should be arrested from their homes. In this case, the police called them to station and arrested them. They had been charged with non-bailable offences that attracts seven years imprisonment and fine.

Demanding that the government should ensure equal justice to all, the Opposition Leader noted that that 48 attacks on Congressmen had happened in Kannur district after the present government came to power.

K. C. Joseph (Congress), who had given notice for the adjournment motion, said that the DYFI workers had attacked the girls and their family several times as their father Rajan had contested against CPI (M) leader Karai Chandrasekharan in the elections to the local self-governments. Their village, Kuttimakkoor, was a party village where the CPI (M) did not tolerate Opposition.

He recalled that Anjana had attempted suicide, pained by the abuse showed upon her by CPI (M) leaders. The incident brought shame upon Kerala.