V Joy displays broken lathi in Assembly; Chennithala denies bringing in police from Tamil Nadu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “This is the same police force that was in place during the 10 years of LDF rule. No police personnel have been brought in from Tamil Nadu,” Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told the Assembly while replying to the Opposition's adjournment motion on alleged police brutality. The Opposition raised the issue of the clash at the University Hostel in Thiruvananthapuram on the opening day of the Assembly's short session on Monday.

Rejecting the allegations of police brutality, Chennithala said he would not allow the force to function without maintaining discipline. He also denied that any student had been hit on the head.

However, V. Joy, who sought permission to move the adjournment motion, alleged that a government-sponsored reign of terror had taken place in Thiruvananthapuram. He claimed that Cantonment SI Gokul had struck students on the head 26 times in 34 seconds. Joy displayed a broken lathi in the Assembly to substantiate his allegation. Following this, Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan directed the Watch and Ward staff to collect the broken piece of the lathi. He said it would be examined.

Kadakampally threatened police officers, alleges Chennithala

Chennithala alleged that Kadakampally Surendran had threatened to finish off the Cantonment CI and SI.

The Home Minister also pointed out that A.D. Thomas, who was brutally assaulted in the name of 'rescue operations' during Pinarayi Vijayan's Nava Kerala Yatra, was present in the Assembly. Addressing Pinarayi, Chennithala asked, “You were also Home Minister. Is it right to march to a police officer's house over a lathi charge and threaten to kill him?”

Chennithala said the clash began after a beer bottle was thrown from the hostel at a Youth Congress march. He said the police intervened to prevent further trouble. He added that the authorities would investigate the presence of people who had been staying at the hostel for a long time and that the Higher Education Minister could look into the matter.

The minister's reply was followed by heated exchanges between members of the ruling and Opposition benches. The Speaker subsequently denied permission for the adjournment motion. Protesting the decision, Opposition members staged a walkout.