After fatal Nedumbassery accident, Keralam govt to tighten action against bars serving alcohol to under-23s

Thiruvananthapuram - The Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, Pinarayi Vijayan, has accused the ruling UDF government of using the police to suppress democratic protests, drawing parallels with the Sangh Parivar's fascist policies. Vijayan highlighted recent incidents of police brutality against Students Federation of India activists in Palakkad and lathi charges against CPI student wing members at a Kerala University hostel, alleging a rise in police atrocities.

He warned that the Home Department had failed in its duties and vowed strong public protests if the government failed to rein in the police. Vijayan specifically mentioned the alleged drunken assault on SFI female students in Palakkad and the government's supposed suppression of their protest by employing lathis and drugs. Despite the students reporting the incident and media coverage, no action was taken, with the police officer swiftly removed from the scene by other officers.

Vijayan emphasized the government's delay in suspending the officer only after a strong protest in the state Assembly. He further claimed that no action had been taken against officers who allegedly attacked SFI activists and threatened students on social media, emphasizing that the UDF government had a responsibility to address such personnel in the police force.