Political row deepens over midnight police raid in by-poll bound Palakkad

PTI Palakkad: The political row over a midnight police raid at a hotel in by-poll-bound Palakkad on suspicion of the arrival of black money intensified on Thursday with the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala calling for an investigation into the matter. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan demanded a probe after CCTV footage emerged showing a Congress worker arriving at the hotel with a trolley bag. The Congress-led UDF has accused the left party of releasing the footage to the media. “CPI(M) will resist the flow of black money for the by-polls. There is evidence that black money was brought to Palakkad. Therefore, a probe in this regard is required,” he told reporters. Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, complained with the Election Commission of India, alleging that CPI(M) had misused the police machinery, as the raid was a “pre-planned operation”.

It is a clear case of misuse of the police machinery by the CPI(M)-led government in the Palakkad by-election while relegating the EC and election officials to helpless bystanders. It may be noted that even before the police scripted drama fashioned as a raid, CPI(M) and BJP activists assembled in front of the hotel.” “Not only that, representatives from a CPI(M) run TV channel had also reached the Hotel. The police conducted the raid in a lackadaisical manner without taking any steps whatsoever to secure the gates or the doors of the Hotel. Consequently, this provided ample opportunity for the CPI(M) and BJP activists, mobilised outside, to enter it and create an environment for conflict.

This act on the part of the police makes it evident that the raid was pre-planned, said the letter sent by the Congress leader. BJP state president K Surendran alleged that the police assisted Congress leaders in moving black money from the hotel. “It’s clear that black money was brought to the hotel. However, the police acted to help Congress workers move the money before the raids,” he said.