Hema Committee Report: The Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has escalated its criticism of the Left government in Kerala, accusing it of protecting those implicated in cases of sexual exploitation, drug abuse, and other criminal activities within the Malayalam film industry, as revealed by the Justice Hema Committee report. They also demanded the resignation of Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cherian for allegedly trying to protect all the culprits in the case.
On the Hema Committee report, Kerala Assembly LoP VD Satheesan said, "Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cherian is trying to avoid an investigation into the recommendations and revelations of the Hema Committee. He has been trying to make some changes to the report...He is now violating his oath and trying to protect all the culprits in this case."
"So he has to resign. The opposition UDF demands his resignation...The government know the fact that a series of offences have been committed. Despite knowing all this, the government is not taking any action. They are not ready to make an investigation team. We demand the government to constitute an investigation team," he said.
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Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala State Assembly, V D Satheesan, demanded a comprehensive investigation into the report's findings. He called for the formation of a special probe team led by a female IPS officer to ensure a thorough inquiry into the serious allegations.
Satheesan also accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of distorting Justice Hema's recommendations regarding the public disclosure of the report. He asserted that Justice Hema had advised that the report be made public while safeguarding the identities of the victims, in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines.
The Justice Hema Committee was originally set up to investigate the treatment and safety of women within the Malayalam film industry.