LDF, UDF criticise Sugathan’s Viyyur jail swearing in

Left Democratic Front (LDF) Parliamentary Party leader S.P.Deepak said on Monday that holding the oath-taking ceremony of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councilor R. Sugathan, an accused in several criminal cases, in jail is an insult to the city residents. The Kerala High Court allowed the oath taking ceremony to be held on Tuesday inside the Viyyur Central Prison in Thrissur, where the Vazhottukonam ward councillor is lodged for six-month preventive detention under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA). “This is an incident that is unheard of in the history of Thiruvananthapuram city or Kerala. There have been cases of people contesting elections after being imprisoned in political cases and winning. But this is a case of a person who is accused in all kinds of criminal cases and is not fit to be kept in the city. The people will reject the BJP leadership’s stance of providing all support to Mr.Sugathan,” he said. He said that the BJP is showing its disdain for democratic decency, morality and the legal system. Through this, the Mayor and the BJP leadership are making fun of not only the people of the Vazhottukonam ward but also the entire city residents, said Mr.Deepak. “The Mayor is spending his time protecting the criminal without showing responsibility even for the basic needs of the city residents like drinking water and sanitation,” he said. Taking a slightly different stance, United Democratic Front (UDF) Parliamentary Party leader K.S.Sabaranidhan said that the High Court’s view on the oath-taking ceremony in jail should be welcomed since it shows that the Court views the KAAPA case seriously. “But the High Court granted permission to Mr.Sugathan to take oath only because it is the right of a public representative to take oath, whoever he is, under any circumstances. Otherwise, I believe that the verdict would have been different,” he said. Mr.Sabarinadhan said that the case has nothing to do with Mr.Sugathan’s disqualification, which will be discussed legally when the council meets in the coming days. “In any case, it is a shame for Thiruvananthapuram and an insult to the ruling party that a member of the BJP-ruled municipality cannot set foot in his own municipality or in his own ward and has to take oath in a jail 288 km away,” he said.