Government wants 'formal' complaint to act on imprisonment of dalit sisters in Kerela

KOCHI: The state minister for scheduled caste, law and culture AK Balan said the government will look into the complaints of the two dalit women if a formal complaint is received.

Meanwhile, the CPM leaders from Thalassery have rejected the allegations that they insulted the two dalit women who were arrested and jailed for allegedly trespassing into a CPM office in Thalassery and attacking the staff.

In the wake of the political controversy triggered off by the suicide attempt by one of the two dalit women, the Thalassery MLA AN Shamseer has said insulting anyone is not part of his culture.

He said there is a political agenda in making allegations against him.

Initially, the charges were against only one CPM leader. Now the number is increasing, he added.

District panchayat vice-president PP Divya also denied the charges that she insulted the two dalit women while participating in a TV channel discussion.

She said the two women are the victims of a grand design by the Congress and the BJP to tarnish CPM's image.

She, however, said in the nearby Koduvally, women workers of BJP participated in an attack along with men.

The attack of the two women on the staff at the CPM office was on similar lines, she added.

It has been pointed out that one of the women attempted suicide because of the way in which the local leaders insulted them while participating in a TV channel discussion.

A special team of Kerala police has launched an inquiry on the charges against the women, the allegations that they were insulted and the charges that it was the insult by local leaders that prompted one of them to attempt suicide.

'WILL TAKE LEGAL ACTION'
Anjana who, along with her elder sister, was arrested on charge of trespassing a CPM office in Thalaserry said she will take legal action against two Left leaders for "portraying her in a poor light during a TV debate".

"The statements they made against me, an unmarried young woman, have hurt me," Anjana said.