Amid the Congress-led opposition’s protest against the ₹2 cess on fuel, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s security has been tightened and roads have been sealed for his convoy, leading to inconvenience among the common man, according to people aware of the matter.
Protests erupted at many places and even movement of ambulances were affected, the people said.
In Ernakulam, police allegedly threatened a man, later identified as S Sarath, after he stopped his vehicle to buy medicine for his ailing son.
“I literally pleaded but the officer was not ready to hear me. He abused me verbally,” Sarath alleged. After the issue was highlighted by local media, the state human rights commission sought a report from the district police superintendent.
Later, police also allegedly threatened medical shop owner M C Mathai for dealing with customers when the chief minister’s convoy was passing through the area. “Carrying a heart patient, I was stranded for 20 minutes in Ernakulam to make way for the CM’s convoy,” ambulance driver Sam Kutty said.
In Pala in Kottayam district, a magistrate’s vehicle was also blocked on Monday to give way to the chief minister’s convoy. The court later sent a notice to the police.
Last week, a woman leader of the Kerala Students Union, Congress’s student outfit, was manhandled by a male officer in Ernakulam after she waived black flags to the chief minister, Congress leaders alleged.
The officer later said the woman was mistaken to be a man, even as the Youth Congress later released a purported video of the incident in which the officer was seen using abusing the woman.
While the woman has filed a complaint, police are yet to register a case against the officer, the Youth Congress alleged.
A senior officer said policemen on the ground face disciplinary action if black flags are shown to the chief minister, so they are forced to take strict action against those involved in such acts. “If the chief minister is so scared of protests, he should remain in his house. Protests are a part of democracy and the chief minister dreads such things these days. People jokingly say even crows are not allowed to fly. It is shame a Communist chief minister is moving around in a convoy of 20 vehicles and 80 body guards,” opposition leader V D Satheesan said.
Satheesan alleged though the state witnessed many such incidents in the past, police continue to resort to the same tactic with support from the chief minister’s office.
He also said that many Youth Congress activists were taken into preventive custody when the chief minister visited Palakkad two days ago.
“In the name of security, people are being penalised in a big way. He is picking the pocket of people and running away from them in fear. Sad, this is happening in a state where leaders earlier roamed around freely,” Satheesan said.
The BJP also criticised the security arrangement for the chief minister. “He is taking people hostage. The party will have to explain what threat he is facing for such a security,” state president K Surendran said.
The ruling CPI(M) justified the security arrangement, citing a protest against the chief minister onboard a flight last year.
“He enjoys Z-plus category security. Police are making arrangements based on this,” said a senior leader who did not want to be named.
The state has been witnessing a series of protests since the cash-strapped government announced its proposal to impose ₹2 cess on petrol and diesel in the budget presented by finance minister K N Balagopal on February 3.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front on Monday observed a day and night protest. UDF convener M M Hassan said they will continue with the stir till the cess was withdrawn.