Law & order in Kerala in tatters, say BJP and Congress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition Congress and the BJP have come down against the state police over the repeated murders and crimes committed by drug mafia in the state.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala blamed police inaction for the recurring incidents of violence by drug and liquor mafia while BJP district president S Suresh alleged that goonda gangs, which unleash attack in various parts of Thiruvananthapuram have the support and protection of the CPM.
In a statement issued here, Chennithala pointed out that in the past two weeks alone, repeated incidents of brutal murders of youngsters and attempts to immolate girls had taken place and the state is on the verge of complete breakdown of law and order.
Referring to the murder of Ananthu Gireesh at Kaimanam on Wednesday, Chennithala said it was shocking that he was assaulted for eight hours before being murdered. Chennithala said had the police acted on time, even after the youngster was forcibly taken by the murderers in the broad daylight, his life could have been saved. The culprits had planned to take revenge on him, which was a fallout of a clash at a temple festival in the city a few days ago, he said.
Citing the case of another youth who was murdered in Palachuvadu in Kochi and the incident in which a girl was set on fire by a youth in Thiruvalla, Chennithala said the failure of policing was exposed repeatedly. Jibin Varghese, the youth whose body was found near Palachuvadu in Ernakulam, was also murdered by a gang, who attacked him for allegedly having an affair with a family member of one of the accused. He was brutally assaulted for almost two hours before he was killed. He said all the incidents took place as the government has politicised the police force and weakened it. Chennithala said the drug mafia and the criminal gangs have been allowed to run their operations freely and the police have become a mere spectator.
Suresh said CM Pinarayi Vijayan should provide a proper explanation for the deteriorating law and order situation. "The temporary offices set up by Marxist party on road side by encroaching government offices are providing shelter to these criminals. We have petitioned election commission to demolish such offices," he said.