Satheesan cited youth wing dissent, quoting a DYFI leader who accused Thrissur leaders of corruption, calling it a major embarrassment for the state government
Thiruvananthapuram
Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday, accusing him of ignoring public anger over custodial torture and corruption scandals. Satheesan said Vijayan’s “ostrich-like attitude” as both Chief Minister and Home Minister was damaging Kerala’s democracy.
“The police have been reduced to an instrument of fear, acting like party loyalists rather than protectors of the people,” Satheesan charged, highlighting recent incidents of brutality. He cited the case of Kerala Students Union activists being produced in court with heads covered and hands shackled, asking, “Are they terrorists or hardened criminals?”
Satheesan vowed to intensify protests inside and outside the Assembly session beginning Monday. He said Vijayan’s silence was “unbecoming of a constitutional authority” and warned that “the beginning of the end” for the government had started.
Adding to the ruling CPI(M)’s troubles, Satheesan pointed to dissent within its youth wing. A DYFI leader in Thrissur alleged that district leaders were acting like a “robbery gang,” making money from shady deals and even controlling police postings for commissions. “If district leaders are robbers, then the state leaders are looters,” Satheesan quoted, calling it a major embarrassment for the government.
The Karuvannur cooperative bank scam, where depositors lost over ₹400 crore, continues to haunt the CPI(M). Families saving for surgeries, weddings, and homes were left destitute. Satheesan alleged the Enforcement Directorate probe into the scam was deliberately weakened while victims await justice.
He also highlighted allegations that police tortured a DYFI activist to death after falsely implicating him in a case, further deepening the crisis.
