A peaceful protest march called by the CPI(M) Delhi State Committee against the harassment of former Kerala Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan was brutally stopped by the police in front of the ED headquarters in Delhi today.
The Delhi Police arrested over 100 CPI(M) workers, including CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat and Polit Bureau member Maryam Dhawle.
After the arrests, Brinda Karat said, “The BJP government has tried to defame Pinarayi Vijayan by using the ED. This move is for political purposes. In the name of investigating a case against Vijayan’s daughter, an attempt has been made to defame an opposition leader like Pinarayi Vijayan.”
MA Baby, Vrinda Karat arrested during protests in Delhi
Delhi Police has arrested CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby from a protest in Delhi. Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat and Polit Bureau members Ashok Dhawle, Mariam Dhawle and Biju Krishnan have also been arrested.
The central agency ED conducted searches at ten places in Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram, on Wednesday. The searches were conducted in connection with Malla’s investigation into ‘Exalgic’, a company run by the daughter of Kerala Assembly Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan. The residence of former Chief Minister and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan was also searched. Protests are underway in various parts of Kerala.
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) also staged a protest in Delhi. The Delhi Police brutally suppressed the protest.
The CPI(M) had earlier strongly condemned the ED search at Vijayan’s residence. Vijayan is the leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly. The CPI(M) said that the BJP government at the Centre has set another example of attacking opposition leaders. It also raised questions about the possibility of communication with the Congress-led UDF government in the state.
CPI(M) Central Committee member Vikram Singh and Delhi State Secretary Anurag Saxena were also arrested by the police during the protest in Delhi today. Around a hundred CPI(M) workers have been arrested.
Baby made a brief speech before being arrested at a protest rally in Delhi today.
He said, “This operation by the ED has been carried out on the orders of the BJP government at the Centre for political purposes. Such a move is aimed at political revenge. Vijayan has no connection with the ‘Exalgic’ case. The court has said several times that Pinarayi Vijayan has no role in this case. Yet this conspiracy is being hatched against him for political purposes.”
Baby made a brief speech before being arrested at a protest rally in Delhi today.
He said, “This operation by the ED has been carried out on the orders of the BJP government at the Centre for political purposes. Such a move is aimed at political revenge. Vijayan has no connection with the ‘Exalgic’ case. The court has said several times that Pinarayi Vijayan has no role in this case. Yet this conspiracy is being hatched against him for political purposes.”
Baby said, CPI(M) has no intention of obstructing any investigation. But it is unacceptable for the central government to use a central agency for political purposes. CPI(M) will take out people across the country to protest. There will be a protest against the selective harassment of opposition political leaders and attacks on democratic rights.
Stalin, Kejriwal condemn: Leadership leaves police station
Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. MV Govindan is present.
CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby and other detained leaders have been released. They were detained by Delhi Police after they protested against the search at the residence of CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan.
Meanwhile, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and DMK leader MK Stalin have strongly condemned the ED search at the residence of former Kerala Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Vijayan. Former Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin, both said that this move is another example of using the central agency to attack opposition leaders.
The ED conducted searches at Vijayan’s residence in connection with the investigation into the case surrounding Vijayan’s daughter’s company. The CPI(M) raised the issue of the search being conducted without following any legal norms. There were strong protests across Kerala.
On this day, the Delhi Police arrested Baby and other CPI(M) leaders while they were protesting in Delhi. Later, they were released by the Bawana police station. Baby, Biju Krishnan, Vikram Singh and other party leaders came out of the jail in a hurry.
Kejriwal said regarding the incident of the day, “It was only after the Congress came to power in Kerala that there was a stir about the inaction of the ED. This search was carried out after that. Questions are being raised about the relationship between the BJP and the Congress.”
Stalin said, “The central government is using central agencies as a tool against opposition leaders.” He said, “The Congress has been campaigning on why the BJP is not taking action against Vijayan. Today’s incident has proven how false this allegation is.”
ইডি তল্লাশি, দিল্লিতে আটকে ক্ষোভ রাজা, সিআইটিইউ’র
বুধবার দিল্লিতে মিছিলে এমএ বেবি, বৃন্দা কারাত সহ সিপিআই(এম) নেতৃবৃন্দ।
সিপিআই(এম) পলিট ব্যুরো সদস্য এবং কেরালার বিরোধী দলনেতা পিনারাই বিজয়নের বাসভবনে ইডি তল্লাশির প্রতিবাদ জানালো সিআইটিইউ-ও। কেন্দ্রীয় সংস্থা ইডি’র ভূমিকায় ক্ষোভ জানিয়েছেন সিপিআই সাধারণ সম্পাদক ডি রাজাও।
বুধবার সকালে বিজয়নের বাসভবনে তল্লাশিতে যায় ইডি। তাঁর কন্যার সংস্থা সংক্রান্ত একটি মামলাকে দেখিয়ে ইডি এই তল্লাশি করেছে। অথচ বিজয়নের নামে কোনও এফআইআর বা আইনি অভিযোগ দায়ের না করে চলেছে তল্লাশি। এই মামলায় বিভিন্ন সময়ে আদালত বলেছে যে পিনারাই বিজয়নের সঙ্গে বিষয়টির কোনও যোগ নেই।
সিআইটিইউ বলেছে, স্রেফ রাজনৈতিক প্রতিহংসার মনোভাব থেকে হয়েছে তল্লাশি। মুখ্যমন্ত্রীর পদ ছাড়ার পরপরই এই পদক্ষেপ আতঙ্কের পরিবেশ তৈরির জন্য।
এদিন দিল্লিতে প্রতিবাদে শামিল সিপিআই(এম) সাধারণ সম্পাদক এমএ বেবি, বৃন্দা কারাত সহ নেতৃবৃন্দকে গ্রেপ্তারিরও কড়া সমালোচনা করেছে সিআইটিইউ।
বিবৃতিতে বলা হয়েছে, দেশের মানুষ এই রাজনৈতিক প্রতিহিংসার প্রতিবাদ করবেন। এমন পদক্ষেপ নিয়ে জনবিরোধী নীতির বিরুদ্ধে মানুষের আন্দোলনকে দমিয়ে রাখতে পারবে না কেন্দ্রের বিজেপি নেতৃত্বাধীন এনডিএ সরকার। সিআইটিইউ সাধারণ সম্পাদক এলামরাম করিম বলেছেন, ‘‘জনবিরোধী নয়া উদারবাদের বিপক্ষে এবং জনতার অধিকার রক্ষার পক্ষে আন্দোলন জারি রাখবে সিআইটিইউ। পাশাপাশি বিরোধী স্বর দমনের এই চেষ্টাকেও প্রতিহত করা হবে।‘‘
ইডি-র এই পদক্ষেপকে ‘স্পষ্ট রাজনৈতিক প্রতিহিংসা‘ আখ্যা দিয়েছেন সিপিআই সাধারণ সম্পাদক ডি রাজাও।
রাজা বলেছেন, ‘‘বিরোধী স্বর এবং বিরোধী পরিচালিত রাজ্যের বিরুদ্ধে বারবার ইডি-কে ব্যবহার করা গণতন্ত্র এবং যুক্তরাষ্ট্রীয় কাঠামোর পক্ষে বিপজ্জনক।’’
সিপিআই সাধারণ সম্পাদক বলেছেন, ‘‘বিরোধীদের মুখ বন্ধ করা এবং ভীত করার এই স্বৈরতান্ত্রিক প্রয়াসের বিপক্ষে সব গণতান্ত্রিক, ধর্মনিরপেক্ষ এবং যুক্তরাষ্ট্রীয় কাঠামোর পক্ষে শামিল সব শক্তিকে একজোট হতে হবে।’’
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