THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition United Democractic (UDF) members staged a walkout from the Assembly on Monday over the violence at Kattappana in Idukki district on Sunday against KC(M) legislator Roshy Augustin, DCC president and former MLA P. T. Thomas and several Opposition activists. Leading the walkout, Congress deputy legislature party leader G. Karthikeyan accused the police of having entered into a pact with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M) to beat up opponents of the government and said the incidents in Idukki in connection with the elections to the Kattappana service cooperative bank proved this to be so. The large contingent of police present on the scene had remained passive spectators when CPI(M) workers beat up Opposition activists. Even the vehicle in which the injured former MLA was sought to be taken to hospital was detained and attacked, he said.
Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that cases had been registered against eight CPI(M) activists for attacking Mr. Augustine, Mr. Thomas and others and against another 10 persons for the detention and vandalising of Mr. Augusthy’s car. The government had deployed a heavy contingent of police at the election venue on instructions from the Kerala High Court and the polling itself was peaceful. Out of 11,065 votes, 5,377 votes were polled and the UDF won in the election. The violence took place outside the polling booth and not inside, he said. K. Babu (Congress), who sought leave for an adjournment motion on the subject, accused the Home Minister of having misrepresented facts and said the violence was the handiwork of persons with no voting right who had entered the counting station as agents of LDF candidates. The violence took place in the presence of the police personnel.