Cong, BJP continue protests against Kerala CM

Malappuram/Kozhikode: Congress and BJP continued their protests seeking the resignation of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the allegations made by Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the gold-smuggling through diplomatic bags case, by waving black flags at him in various parts of Malappuram and Kozhikode districts of the State.

While the police had put in place elaborate security measures, including ensuring no one wears black masks or clothes to the Chief Minister’s functions in the two districts, TV channels showed visuals of protestors in small numbers waving black flags at Vijayan’s cavalcade at some places as he sped from one location to another.

TV channels showed also members of the public, who had gone to attend an event in Kozhikode where the Chief Minister would be present, being asked by the police to remove their black masks and wear the yellow ones provided by the agency.

When asked why such elaborate security arrangements for the Chief Minister and why a prohibition on black apparel, LDF convener E P Jayarajan, while speaking to reporters, asked “why the insistence on wearing black masks or shirts?” “Were you wearing black masks till now? Shouldn’t a Chief Minister have proper security, especially when people are walking around with sticks and swords” were his response. He said that during the UDF regime, the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy did not require such elaborate security as they knew LDF would not resort to violence.

Chandy, on the other hand, said there was no elaborate security for him when he was the Chief Minster and also faced stone-pelting. “In a democracy, people have the right to protest. It is not appropriate in a democracy to say black flags or apparel or masks cannot be shown to a Chief Minister,” he added.

State Minister of Local Self-government M V Govindan said while “there was no problem with wearing black masks, it was being used as a mode of protest.” However, Leader of Opposition in the State assembly V D Satheesan said in a tweet that the Chief Minister should a