Kerala: CAA and Vizhinjam protest cases tossed as Lok Sabha polls near

Thiruvananthapuram: With the Lok Sabha polls approaching, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala is expediting steps to withdraw cases registered in connection with protests over Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) as well as stirs led by priests against the Vizhinjam port project.

The move could be considered as a bid to appease the minority communities ahead of the polls, especially since the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was trying to cash in on it.

UDF has been accusing the government for not withdrawing the cases against CAA protests as well as those against priests of the Latin Catholic church in Thiruvananthapuram, who spearheaded the stir alleging that the Vizhinjam port project was affecting livelihood of the coastal community.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recently said that of the 835 cases registered in 2020 in connection with the protests against CAA, 629 were already withdrawn. But the opposition alleged that 502 cases were yet to be withdrawn. Hence the government directed the police to ensure that all those cases, except those of serious nature, are withdrawn soon.

Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran alleged that even as cases in connection with protest against CAA were being withdrawn, cases registered in connection with protest against women entry at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in 2018-19 were not yet withdrawn.

157 cases against Vizhinjam protestors withdrawn

Last week, the government had decided to withdraw 157 of the 199 cases registered in connection with the protests spearheaded by the priests at Vizhinjam in 2022 against the Vizhinjam port project.

But, Congress alleged that as many as 42 cases, including those in which Latin Catholic Church Archbishop Thomas J Netto was arraigned, are yet to be withdrawn.

Kerala PCC acting president M M Hassan said that the cases registered in connection with burning effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah as part of protests against CAA were not being withdrawn as the CPM government wanted to 'please Modi'.

He also said that it was quite surprising that a bishop was also arraigned in the case pertaining to protest against Vizhinjam port and serious charges were also invoked against him.