Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader KK Rema, on Wednesday, July 10, criticised the Kerala government, alleging they were supporting the accused in the recent atrocities against women and children. Raising the issue in an adjournment motion in the Assembly, Rema mentioned the recent incidents and questioned why the Hema Committee Report had not been released yet.

Mentioning various incidents, Rema spoke about the atrocity against a 19-year-old Dalit girl, who was brutally attacked in public by their neighbours on July 7. “I want to know why the primary accused, Shiju, has not been arrested,” she asked. She also alleged that Shaiju was a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].

Raising the issue of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cases registered against the Kerala Cricket Association coach, she said, “Kerala should be ashamed of this. This crime was worse than what Brij Bhushan Singh did towards the wrestlers.” 

Rema also related the instance of abuse at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) on February 29. “A syndicate member and a Left leader abused a student. She gave a complaint to the party, but they did not move forward with that complaint. Then she lodged a complaint with the police. He is still serving the position of the student welfare director of the campus, and there is no action taken towards him. The government is still supporting the accused,” Rema alleged. 

She also questioned the inaction in another incident at the Sree Sankaracharya College Kalady. S Rohith, a previous leader of the Student Federation of India (SFI), a student organisation of CPI(M), allegedly morphed the photos of a student and posted them on social media. The girl complained to the police and registered a case against him. “He had shared the photographs of over 20 girls on the shady page on Facebook with obscene captions, and he was released on station bail,” Rema said. 

She also questioned why the Hema Committee report which was submitted in December 2019, had not been released. “The government was not able to publish the report yet. They are protecting the culprits. Now the State Information Commission (SIC) has ordered the issue of the report,” she added. 

Minister Veena George responded to the questions raised by Rema and the Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan related to the atrocities. She said the investigations were ongoing, and no one who had committed atrocities against women and children would be protected.

Rema also criticised the absence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Assembly and said it indicated the government’s laxity towards such serious issues.