Two ministers in the CPI(M)-led Kerala Government have described the agitation spearheaded by the Latin Catholic Archdiocese against the Vizhinjam International Sea Port as anti-national and an act of sedition.
V Abdul Rehman, Minister for Harbor, said at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday that the Kerala Government has all details of the leaders behind the agitation against the Port which is being built by the Adani Group. “We have tackled serious agitations in the past and it is not difficult for us to take care of this anti-Port agitation. This is a movement against national interests,” said Rehman while addressing a seminar on Vizhinjam Port.
The minister claimed that the Government has not forced out even a single resident under the pretext of land acquisition. “We will see to it that the Port works are completed as per schedule. This is a project of national importance and till now we were restrained in our approach to the agitation against the port. All demands made by the leaders of the agitation have been met but now they want the project to be scrapped altogether,” said Abdul Rehman.
Meanwhile heavy posse of policemen have been deployed along coastal Kerala to nip in the bud any violence which is likely to occur in the coming days. Cops who were on leave have been directed to join for duty immediately in the backdrop of the rioting and vandalism at Vizhinjam that saw 40 cops getting injured and public property getting destroyed.
Education Minister V Sivankutty, the ideological face of the CPI(M), lashed out against the Church leaders for their role in spreading the agitation. “The police was restrained in their response to attacks carried out by the agitating fishermen. There were instances of the unruly crowd snatching the lathis from the policemen and throwing them into the sea. This is a serious offence and is an anti-national activity,” said Sivankutty.
He said there is no chance of the police withdrawing the cases filed against the Archbishop, Auxiliary Bishop and the vicar of Vizhijnam for rioting and breakdown in law and order. “This is the worst kind of agitation and is a threat to the culture of Kerala. The cases were filed only after ascertaining the role of the Church leaders,” said Sivankutty while interacting with media.
