Pantheerankavu UAPA case: Ramesh Chennithala's special interest spoils UDF

Everyone in Kerala knows the story of the two students, Alan Shuhaib and Thaha Fasal who were arrested by the Kerala police for their alleged maoist linked activities in Pantheerankavu area in Kozhikode district in November, 2019. After their arrest the DGP and the police department of Kerala have categorically stated that there are valid evidences to prove that the duo has links with the banned CPI (maoist) organization. Ever since their arrest, some CPI (M) leaders have been mentioning that the two are members of the CPI-M party and were raising their voices in support of them saying they are innocent and were leaving no stones unturned for their release from the police custody. 

However in a statement on 2019 November 19, the senior CPI(M) leader and district secretary P Mohanan made it clear that it is the belief of the CPI(M) party that the islamic terrorists and the maoists have a nexus and it is the islamic terrorists operating out of Calicut that supports the maoists. He also demanded the police to investigate the matter.

The Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also believes and has stated earlier that there are islamic terrorists in Kerala who infiltrate in to the society to sow unrest and spoil communal harmony, strongly rejected the idea of protecting them but referred the case to the NIA that deals with such cases related to extremism and terrorism. The CM was very adamant and stubborn even before the moaning and groaning of the CPI party which is the government's major partner which is apparently a sympathiser of the banned CPI (maoists) outfit and always has a soft corner for the maoists (may be for political reasons!) 


Basing these findings and the proofs that the police gathered, the government then imposed charges of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on the two accused who were arrested in Pantheerancavu and obviously the investigation was handed over to the NIA and is being carried out by the agency effectively. The CM repeatedly said that the two students were not innocents as advocated by some vested interests. During a press conference he even passed a witty remark that they were not arrested by the police when they were drinking tea, but involving in antisocial activities!

Now when the National Investigating Agency of India has been investigating the case authoritatively, recently the opposition leader of Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala visited the houses of the accused and extended full support of the Congress party and the UDF for the alleged criminals. Most average people of Kerala opine that this activity of a responsible leader of his stature has terribly damaged the image of the Congress and the UDF. They are raising many doubts and asking one another what the intrigue of Ramesh Chennithala is to argue for these alleged terrorists and give pressure to the communist party government to write to the union home minister to hand over the case back to the state police. The people are wondering what is the agenda of the Congress party or the UDF in the case connected with two communist activists who were arrested for their involvement in unlawful activities and handed over by their own party rulers.

While most common people of Kerala and congress and UDF sympathisers strongly condemn this move of Chennithala, they are also of the opinion that the NIA or the CBI should investigate the link Ramesh Chennithala and other UDF leaders in Kerala have with such banned and unlawful outfits and terrorists. Many people also agree with the CPI(M) leader P Mohanan and believe that these arrested students have links with muslim terrorism. The people of Kerala are demanding an explanation from the opposition leader of Kerala why he is interested in the release of persons involved in global terrorist gang and advocate for their escape. The people know very well that the LDF government will see that none of its members/activists get punished even if they have committed crimes. In this case even though the accused had party membership, the government had refused any support considering the gravity of the crime. Then what is the relationship between Ramesh chennithala and these accused terrorists?