‘This is not Stalin’s Russia. This is Kerala’, Satheesan warns CPM against weaponising KAAPA

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader VD Satheesan on Friday said he will vehemently oppose the CPM-government’s move to charge Youth Congress leader Farzeen Majid with Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA), which if invoked will see the latter banned from entering Kannur district among a slew of other conditions.

Satheesan argued that of the 19 cases lodged against Majid, 12 are frivolous ones registered against him for protesting during a time when COVID restrictions were in play in the State.

If the number of cases is the big concern here, would the CPM government be willing to lodge against SFI workers who have over 40 criminal cases, Satheesan posed.

The government is playing politics by lodging cases against those who oppose them while paying a blind eye to the atrocities of its partymen. Congress will not be a mere spectator here,” Satheesan added. “This is not Stalin’s Russia. This is Kerala,” Satheesan reminded the government. The Congress leader also pointed out that there are 14,000 gangsters roaming freely in the State.

The Kerala police had recommended the State invoke KAAPA against Majid for protesting against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on a flight on June 13.

The Kannur city police commissioner had given a recommendation to this effect to the Collector based on a police report that claimed Majid was a serial offender.

The move was initiated on the basis of several cases filed against him, including the attempt to murder, for the in-flight protest. The police report suggested that, given the number and nature of cases against Majid, he should be banned from entering the district. The report also states that the continued presence of the Youth Congress worker in Kannur would lead to many law and order issues.

Youth Congress activities Majid and Naveen Kumar protested against Pinarayi Vijayan on board an Indigo flight as it landed at the Thiruvananthapuram airport on June 13.

Though the Youth Congress workers were booked with charges like attempt to murder, preventing official duty, criminal conspiracy, and indulging in activities endangering the safety of flight, a court allowed them bail in the case.