Kerala Police did not file a case against Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) Thiruvananthapuram councilor DR Anil even after several BJP councilors complained that he insulted women councilors. Instead, police ensured that Mayor Arya Rajendran physically trampled upon the lady BJP representatives. Administrative brutality did not end there, and they waited till midnight to drag and manhandle lady councilors into the waiting police vans. The councilors were staging a 24 hours day and night strike inside the corporation office against Anil.
The media failed to report the brutal state-sponsored terrorism. Unfortunately, top BJP leaders were busy elsewhere, and none arrived at their rescue. Not a single feminist activist came forward to support the ladies. There are many such self-proclaimed utopians of women’s rights in Kerala, but their activism is limited to communist causes, most of which are anti-Hindu.
Anil is also the LDF parliamentary party secretary and passed disgraceful remarks while the lady BJP councilors signed the attendance register. He said that if they wanted money, they might as well do ‘other’ jobs. It reflects upon his poor upbringing, family background, Malayalam movies, and communist ideologies that degrade women. Are communist leaders now passing such lewd remarks that hint at prostitution?
Last week, nine BJP women councilors of the corporation who protested during the council meeting were suspended. Trouble has been brewing since letters allegedly written by Arya Rajendran to CPM district secretary Anavoor Nagappan appeared on social media. She wanted a list of CPM members for the appointment in vacant posts in the corporation. BJP and Congress councilors opposed such blatant cronyism and nepotism. Of the 100 seats in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, CPM has 52, BJP 35, and Congress 10.
As per law, all government appointments must be made through the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC). Kerala has a record 19 PSC members, each of whom draws more than double the salary of ministers. Ministers take home around one lakh monthly, while PSC members earn Rs 2.26 lakhs. Even the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has just six members and a Chairman. Tamil Nadu has seven, including the Chairman.
For the communists, KPSC is another tool to employ their cronies and relatives. The situation was the same under the earlier Congress regimes, too, and anyone seeking government employment had to carry a letter from the local political party office.
Kerala police Crime Branch submitted a preliminary investigation report citing that they failed to confirm the authenticity of Arya’s alleged letter. Officials stated that they only have screenshots of the letter available on WhatsApp but not the original document. Crime Branch agreed that a case should be registered and further investigation should be carried out to find the original hardcopy of the letter. Suspiciously, they did not extend the probe to the WhatsApp groups that circulated the letter.
Incidentally, the controversial letter issue began with a WhatsApp group in which Anil was also a member. He even confessed that the letter he wrote in connection with the appointments to the corporation was destroyed by himself. Anil admitted that the letter which surfaced recently was prepared by him but refused to give any further explanations! He later claimed he disposed of them since he felt it unnecessary. Allegedly, the secret insertion of CPM cadre into plum posts had occurred by then.
The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking a CBI probe or a judicial inquiry into the controversial letter allegedly written by Arya regarding employing party cadres in the civic body. Justice K Babu said the claims of the petitioner — a former Councillor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation — regarding the impartiality of the investigating agency — the Crime Branch wing of the police — are without any solid foundation.
“The petitioner has failed to place any concrete material compelling transfer of investigation,” the court said, dismissing the plea. The court might have done well to have studied Anil’s confession before coming to such a conclusion. It points to the rot festering in the system for far too long.
The CPM claims that Arya did not prepare the letter, and if so, why fear an impartial inquiry? Why couldn’t the Kerala Crime Branch locate the original note? Is it this easy to prepare letters using the Mayor’s letterhead in Kerala? In November, Vigilance had claimed they would interrogate all the corporation staff who are likely to have handled the alleged letters of Anil and the Mayor. What are the findings of that inquiry?
Last Friday, BJP and CPM councilors clashed in the morning council meeting. The BJP councilors who were protesting in the council hall to stop Mayor Arya Rajendran were forcibly removed by the police, following which the Mayor suspended the nine BJP women councilors. The ladies were down on the floor when Arya kicked and trampled on them on her way into the council hall dais. Hindus consider it a sin to touch someone with their feet, even unintentionally, and immediately apologize and touch their feet even if they are younger than them.
This was when Anil came out with his crass comments. His remarks did not go well with BJP lady councilors from families with impeccable records. They tried to file a police complaint against his vulgar words in the council, but Kerala police would not file an FIR against the communist leader. In protest against this, the BJP councilors decided to fast for 24 hours in the council hall.
However, Anil responded that he did not abuse women. The communist leader even tried to explain that he was only making a general statement aimed at all the BJP councilors! It proved that communists have little or no morals. Anil alleged that those who twist his statement have ugly motives.
Mayor Arya Rajendran’s position was that she did not notice Anil’s remark that was passed in the well of the council hall. She then alleged that she did not receive any complaint from the women councilors. BJP councilors said they had given a written complaint on Friday, and the Mayor had reportedly told them that she would look into the matter.
BJP’s move is to intensify the protest demanding the ouster of Anil. The BJP filed a complaint alleging insult to womanhood, but the police are of the position that they will file a case only after conducting a preliminary investigation.
