Plaint accusing CM of instigating Left workers: Fair probe needed, says UDF

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 10 (PTI) The Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday demanded a fair probe into the complaint against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accusing him of making a speech instigating brutal assaults against Youth Congress members during the Nava Kerala Sadas outreach programme of the government last year.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan made the demand in a submission in the House where he contended that a magisterial court has ordered a probe against the CM on the complaint.

Responding to the submission on behalf of the CM, state Excise and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M B Rajesh said that the court has only asked the police to investigate whether there are sufficient grounds to proceed further with the complaint.

"The court ordered the police to investigate under section 202 (1) of the CrPC as to whether there are sufficient reasons to proceed with the complaint and submit a report," Rajesh said.

The court order of October 3 came on a complaint by Ernakulam District Congress Committee president Muhammed Shiyas accusing the CM of making statements which allegedly justified the physical assault of Youth Congress activists purportedly by CPI(M), DYFI and SFI workers during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme in the state.

Shiyas has claimed that the speech instigated the Left activists to brutally attack and assault protesting YC members on several other occasions too. PTI