Palakkad (Kerala) | Amidst heated campaigning for the Assembly by-election in the Palakkad constituency, a midnight police raid at a hotel here on suspicion of the arrival of black money triggered an intense political row on Wednesday.
Around midnight, the police conducted searches, including in the hotel rooms where prominent women politicians from the Congress, such as Bindu Krishna and Shanimol Usman, were staying.
The incident occurred as the Congress-UDF is working hard to retain its sitting constituency, while the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the BJP-NDA are making every effort to wrest the seat from the grand old party.
The Congress leadership, vehemently protesting the police action, alleged that it was a "midnight police drama" jointly orchestrated by the BJP and the CPI(M) due to their fear of a potential poll debacle.
However, the Marxist party and the BJP rejected the allegations and accused the Congress of "distributing" large amounts of black money to secure a victory in the crucial by-election.
Later in the day, a senior police officer told the media that the raids were carried out on the basis of prior information.
The dramatic scenes unfolded when a police team attempted to enter the room of Bindu Krishna and Shanimol Usman as part of a search around midnight.
Usman objected to the search due to the absence of female officers.
Congress supporters, upon learning about the raid, gathered in large numbers on the hotel premises, protesting against the police action.
Tension prevailed in the area as local leaders and workers of the CPI(M) and BJP also arrived at the hotel, accusing the Congress leaders of holding black money.
Left leaders demanded a review of all rooms and CCTV footage from the hotel.
As the issue sparked a major political row, the police later clarified that 12 rooms in the hotel were searched, including those of leaders from all political parties.
"It was a routine search, and nothing was found in the rooms," a police officer told reporters soon after the raids.
The police added that searches are being conducted in hotels and lodges in the constituency to prevent malpractice during the November 20 by-election.
Krishna and Usman told reporters on Wednesday morning that the police targeted both of them.
"There was a deliberate conspiracy behind this midnight search," they said, adding that it is both a women's issue and a political matter.
While KPCC president K Sudhakaran strongly criticised the police action and charged the CPI(M) and BJP with "conspiring" jointly against the Congress party, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan alleged that the "drama" was staged with the knowledge of the "coterie" in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
"This midnight police drama was orchestrated by the BJP and CPI(M) out of
fear of a poll debacle," Sudhakaran alleged.
When Sudhakaran said that the Congress would challenge the "midnight search drama" both legally and politically, the LoP said the party would never forgive the police action questioning the self-respect of its women leaders.
However, CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan said the police have been conducting searches in all suspected places and vehicles in connection with the bypoll, and the room of CPI(M) leader T V Rajesh in the hotel was also inspected.
"Why are the Congress leaders making these many issues over the searches? That means they have something to hide," he said.
Senior CPI(M) leaders P K Sreemathi and LSGD Minister M B Rajesh described the police search as a "routine process" and questioned why the Congress was making such a hue and cry over it.
"No political party was exempted from the search. The police entered the rooms of leaders from all parties, not just one. The search was routine. Why is such a fuss being made over it?" Rajesh asked while speaking to reporters.
The CPI(M) also lodged a complaint with the District Police Chief, seeking a comprehensive investigation into the disruption of an inspection at the hotel by Congress workers. The party called for a fair investigation, including the retrieval of CCTV footage.
BJP state chief K Surendran alleged that it was a fact that the Congress and former Palakkad MLA Shafi Parambil were using black money in the constituency for the by-election.
Surendran also accused the police of not searching all the rooms in the hotel, giving an opportunity to move the black money to a safer place.
Later in the day, UDF candidate in the constituency Rahul Mamkootathil met the media with his blue-coloured trolly suitcase, in which the political opponents alleged that unaccounted money was brought to the hotel by a party worker.
"The suitcase was taken out of my vehicle. It was brought to the hotel to check the dresses kept inside. The suitcase was given back after that," he told reporters here.
He also said that he was ready to hand it over to the police for examination.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in a protest march taken out by Congress leaders and workers to the office of the district police chief here.
The Election Commission postponed the Palakkad Assembly bypoll from November 13 to November 20, citing the Kalpathi Ratholsavam festival.
The bypoll was necessitated after Congress MLA of the constituency, Shafi Parambil, got elected to the Lok Sabha from the Vadakara constituency.
Palakkad (Kerala) | Amid protests by Congress over a midnight police operation at a hotel in Palakkad, which is heading for an assembly by-election, CCTV footage showing a leader of the party's student wing, KSU, arriving at the hotel with a blue trolley bag was broadcast by the media.
This prompted the CPI(M) to accuse him of carrying black money intended to influence the election.
The visuals showed the Kerala Students Union (KSU) leader arriving at the hotel with the blue trolley bag, with the Congress candidate and top leaders of the party in the district, including V K Sreekandan and Shafi Parambil--both Members of Parliament--moving alongside the student leader.
Congress candidate Rahul Mamkootathil claimed that the bag brought by the KSU leader contained clothes.
"The trolley bag contained my clothes. They (CPI(M) and BJP) need to prove that the trolley bag contained money. I will give it up for forensic examination by the police. Let them examine it and find out what was kept in it.
"If you check CCTV footage of when CPI(M) leaders arrived at the hotel, they too would be seen carrying trolley bags," he said.
CPI(M) district secretary E N Sureshbabu lodged a complaint with the district police chief, alleging that the blue trolley bag contained black money.
Around midnight, the police conducted searches, including in the hotel rooms where prominent women politicians from the Congress, such as Bindu Krishna and Shanimol Usman, were staying.
While the Congress alleged that it was a "midnight police drama" jointly orchestrated by the BJP and the CPI(M) due to their fear of a potential poll debacle, the Marxist party and the saffron party rejected the allegations and accused the grand old party of "distributing" large amounts of black money to secure a victory in the crucial by-election.
According to the police, searches are being conducted in hotels and lodges in the constituency to prevent malpractice during the November 20 by-election and the raid at the hotel was part of that operation.