Midnight police raid ignites political firestorm in Palakkad

Congress, CPI(M), BJP trade charges over allegations of black money, conspiracy

The electoral heat in Palakkad has dramatically escalated into a nasty confrontation between the Congress and CPI(M). The spark that ignited this intense stand-off was a police raid on the rooms of two Congress women leaders at KPM Regency hotel here, which began around midnight and continued into the early hours of Wednesday.

The police raided the hotel reportedly on the basis of a tipoff that United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Rahul Mamkootathil had a bagful of black money with him. However, Assistant Police Superintendent Aswati Jiji said that it was a routine raid in view of the upcoming byelection. She said they raided 12 rooms at the hotel.

Congress leaders Shanimol Usman and Bindu Krishna protested as the police team raided their rooms. Ms. Usman resisted the raid saying there was no woman police officer in the team. The police later examined the room by bringing in a woman officer. The police said they did not find any black money.

Even as the raid progressed, CPI(M), BJP and Congress workers and local leaders gathered at the hotel were engaged in heated arguments. At some point, the standoff slipped into a showdown between the party workers. CPI(M) workers led by A.A. Rahim, MP, and Nithin Kanichery alleged that the Congress workers helped their leader remove the black money from the hotel by creating a ruckus.

Congress leaders V.K. Sreekandan, MP, and Shafi Parambil, MP, reached the hotel and questioned the midnight raids on the rooms of Ms. Usman and Ms. Krishna without the presence of a woman officer. Although the police said that the raid was conducted with the concurrence of the Election Commission, the absence of any electoral officers raised suspicions. The Revenue Divisional Officer and the Additional District Magistrate reached the scene after 2 a.m. They said they had not been informed.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan accused Minister for Local Administration M.B. Rajesh of scripting the ‘raid drama’ with the help of his brother-in-law Nithin Kanichery. “He has no moral right to continue as Minister. He should resign immediately. Shame on him,” said Mr. Satheesan.

Mr. Mamkootathil said he had gone to Kozhikode to meet Sunni leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar when the raid took place. CPI(M) and BJP leaders alleged that he escaped during the raid.

The police on Wednesday afternoon retrieved the hotel surveillance camera footage as part of an investigation. CPI(M), BJP and Congress leaders demanded a thorough inquiry into the incidents.

Mr. Sreekandan and Mr. Shafi questioned the way the police raided the rooms of their women leaders. They also questioned how CPI(M) and BJP leaders reached the hotel soon after the raid team landed there. “It smacked a conspiracy by the CPI(M) to help the BJP,” they said.

State Women’s Commission chairperson P. Satheedevi told a news channel that she found nothing wrong in the police raid, and that the commission would examine it if they get any complaint.

Meanwhile, the spat between the CPI(M) and Congress leaders continued through Wednesday evening over a travel bag that Youth Congress worker Fenny Ninan carried into the hotel and back. CPI(M) district secretary E.N. Suresh Babu alleged that it was full of black money, but Mr. Mamkootathil denied it.

Published - November 06, 2024 09:07 pm IST