Cruelties against women, children: govt, Opp'n spar in Kerala Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling faction and opposition entered into a verbal battle in the Kerala State Assembly on Wednesday after the opposition questioned the government over increasing atrocities against women and children in the state. The opposition alleged that the ruling CPI(M) party is protecting its activists and sympathisers who are involved in crimes of the genre, PTI reported.

The Congress-led UDF listed a number of shocking incidents of atrocities against women and children reported in the state in recent times, in the majority of which the Left workers or sympathisers were named as accused.

Strongly rejecting the charges, the LDF government claimed that stringent measures were taken against the accused in all these cases and made it clear that they would not spare anyone involved in crimes against women and children.

Though Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was expected to give a reply to a notice for an adjournment motion moved by RMP MLA K K Rema, Veena George gave the answer in the House in her capacity as the minister for Women and Child Development.

The House witnessed an intense war of words between Rema, known for her sharp oratory skills, and George while detailing the harrowing experiences of women and the action taken by the police in each case.

The UDF legislator particularly pointed out the brutal assault suffered by a 19-year-old Dalit woman, allegedly by a CPI(M) local worker, for questioning his attack against her younger siblings in Poochakkal in Alappuzha district a few days ago.

"The prime accused was not arrested as he is a CPI(M) activist. The government's approach is that if a party man is accused in such a case, he will be protected," she alleged.

The woman legislator also mentioned the alleged posting of morphed photos of over 20 college students on social media by one of their seniors and a former leader of SFI, the student outfit of the ruling CPI(M).

She accused the government and the CPI(M) of taking a stand to protect a Left syndicate member of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) when he had faced an allegation of misbehaving with a female student recently.

Rema also criticised the government and the police over the recent complaints of a number of teenage girls who had raised molestation charges against a coach of the Kerala Cricket Association.

"The government has failed to ensure protection for even tiny children in the state. It is a state being ruled by the Left government," she said amidst an intense war of words between ruling and opposition members in the House.

Taking a dig at the Vijayan government, she said all these were happening in the "number one" state of Kerala.

She also urged the government to set up fast-track courts for the trial of atrocities against children.