THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said that he is firm on his stand that the fire that broke out at the Secretariat Protocol office is an act of sabotage. He also said that the probe by chief secretary into the incident won’t be enough. Chennithala sought a probe by the NIA. The government’s intention was to destroy the files. Some of the files burnt did not have a backup. The government also shifted some important files under the cover of fire, alleged Chennithala.

The protest staged by the UDF adhered to COVID protocol. The act of blocking the media and politicians unleashed violence. The allegations raised by the health minister in connection with the incident are contrary to actual facts. The police played a pivotal role in intensifying the issue. Chennithala also asked whether chief secretary is the chief security officer.

Meantime, the fire force team is of the opinion that the blaze is not a subversive act. The report to be submitted to the government mentioned that short circuit as the reason for the fire. The fire force criticized the government saying that the safety regulations were not strictly followed in the main block where they conducted mock drill two years back.

A satyagraha will be staged by the UDF against the government in 21,000 wards. The protest is staged raising issues like gold smuggling, Life Mission scam, fraud in flood relief, backdoor appointments and corruption of government. The UDF demanded that these issues need to be probed by the CBI and NIA should probe the fire incident. They also demanded the resignation of the chief minister.