LDF seeks judicial probe into Rajakkad incident

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 17. The State committee of the LDF has sought a judicial inquiry into the alleged use of third degree on a youth by the Rajakkad police in Idukki on November 13.

Briefing reporters about the deliberations of the LDF committee here today, the Front convener, Mr. Paloli Mohammed Kutty, said an LDF delegation would visit Rajakkad on November 19 to get first-hand information on the incident and that the Front would organise a people's march to the police station before November 30.

Describing the alleged police assault of the youth, who is the local unit secretary of the SNDP Yogam, the LDF convener said the incident was a disgrace for the entire State. He said the Rajakkad incident and the death of a Dalit youth at Nemom following alleged police torture indicated that there was nobody in control of the Police Department.

Mr. Mohammed Kutty said the police was discriminating against LDF activists at some places and at others even against sections within the UDF. The Koyilandy incident was a clear indication of the manner in which the police was behaving towards the general public. The attack on the Neyyatinkara police station by Congress activists showed that the ruling party workers want the police to act according to their dictates, he added.

The LDF convener also came down heavily on the UDF Government's handling of the farm crisis and said the Government had failed in impressing upon the Centre the gravity of the situation and providing relief to the farmers who were reeling under the steep fall in the prices of agricultural commodities. When the LDF was in power, the UDF had mounted a campaign against it over the issue and had even demanded earmarking of Rs. 100 crores for measures to lift the farm produce prices. However, even six months after assuming office, the UDF could do nothing to improve the lot of farmers, he pointed out.

Mr. Mohammed Kutty said the farm crisis had affected some 40- lakh coconut growers and almost the same number of rubber growers. Nobody, he said, would say that the crisis was entirely on account of the actions of the State Government. However, the Congress and its Chief Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony, cannot escape blame for the same because the price fall was the direct result of the import liberalisation measures initiated by the Narasimha Rao Government, he said.

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Section  : Southern States
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