Kerala HC seeks explanation from Pinarayi-led government on arrest of black flag protesters

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has issued notice to the state's Pinarayi Vijayan government on a plea seeking to know whether wearing a black dress and waving black flags at protests is enough to earn a ticket to jail.

A petition was filed before Kerala High Court on Tuesday seeking to declare that the arrest and detention for waving black flags or wearing a black dress in protest are illegal and sought an order to grant compensation to the persons who have been booked for waving black flags at the chief minister and ministers.

This petition was based on an incident when two transgenders, wearing black dresses and walking on the road at Kochi, quite near the venue of the function in which Vijayan was taking part on June 11, were taken into custody by the police.

The petition argued that it was deplorable that in a democratic country, people are being taken into custody and sent to jail for protest by waving black flags or even wearing a black dress.

The court has posted the case for August 11.

Ever since the gold smuggling case prime accused Swapna Suresh claimed in her confession statement that Vijayan, his wife, and daughter were engaged in smuggling gold and currency, the Congress and the BJP are holding demonstrations for his resignation and their workers wave black flags whenever Vijayan moves around.

But the police were careful not to allow any material black in color, including black cloth even on the stage or in the audience of the program attended by the Chief Minister. People were forced to take off their black masks and those wearing black clothes were detained. This was followed by the controversial detention of transgenders.