The Kerala Assembly witnessed heated exchanges as the Opposition accused the state government of failing to address increasing atrocities against women and children on Wednesday. The Opposition also alleged that CPI(M) activists and sympathisers involved in such cases were being protected.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) listed several recent incidents of violence against women and children highlighting that many accused were affiliated with the Left.
In response, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government firmly denied the allegations asserting that strict action had been taken against all accused regardless of their political affiliations. The government emphasised its commitment to justice and stated that no one involved in crimes against women and children would be spared, according to a report on PTI.
Though Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was expected to address the adjournment motion moved by Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) MLA K. K. Rema, it was Veena George, the Minister for Women and Child Development, who responded. The session saw an intense debate between Rema and George with Rema detailing various incidents and the subsequent police actions.
Rema highlighted the brutal assault of a 19-year-old Dalit woman by a CPI(M) local worker in Poochakkal, Alappuzha district, noting that the prime accused had not been arrested due to his political connections. She claimed that the government's approach was to protect party members accused of such crimes, as per the report.
She also referenced the case of over 20 college students whose morphed photos were allegedly posted online by a former leader of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPI(M). Additionally, Rema criticised the government for protecting a Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) member accused of misconduct with a girl student.
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