By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Congress-led opposition in Kerala Wednesday said it would hold a daylong protest Sep 17 seeking the removal of the home portfolio from the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) over the probe into the murder of Muthoot business group scion Paul M. George.
“All the top leaders of the United Democratic Front (UDF) will sit in satyagraha in front of the state secretariat to see that the home portfolio is taken away from the CPI-M. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and his party are more interested in shielding criminals and not in protecting the people of the state,” P.P. Thankachen, convenor of the Congress-led UDF, told reporters here.
The UDF met here and decided that the Sep 17 demonstration would be the first in the series of protests they would launch against the CPI-M.
“The latest episode of the CPI-M and their leaders shielding criminals is the Paul M. George murder case. Even a school kid in the state will know that the police is under duress from the CPI-M to mislead the investigation and protect the real culprits,” said Thankachen.
George, 32, was killed Aug 21 midnight near Alappuzha while he was travelling with two men, Om Prakash and P. Rajesh, both of whom had criminal records. The police have since arrested K. Satish, who the police claim stabbed George, and 18 others for their role in the crime.
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have cried foul over the manner in which the case is being investigated and have alleged that police are under duress because of the alleged links between Balakrishnan’s son Bineesh Kodiyeri and Om Prakash and P. Rajesh, who were absconding until Tuesday.
The two surrendered before a court in Tamil Nadu Tuesday in a case of attempted murder that took place in 2004.
Kerala Police took Om Prakash and Rajesh into custody Wednesday evening and they were being brought here along with a 12-member special armed police team.