Thiruvananthapuram | BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday alleged that Malappuram auto driver Shoukat would not have died by suicide had Chief Minister V D Satheesan fulfilled his election promise to reform rules allegedly being misused by officials to harass people over vehicle modifications.
In a Facebook post, Chandrasekhar said Shoukat’s suicide was a “clear picture of the severe harassment” faced by ordinary people at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in Kerala.
He claimed that Shoukat had been visiting various offices for 10 months to obtain a fitness certificate for his autorickshaw and alleged that his file was delayed because he was unwilling to pay bribes through agents.
"Shoukat’s suicide exposes the harassment faced by ordinary people at RTO offices in Kerala," Chandrasekhar said.
Chandrasekhar alleged that RTOs had become "centres of corruption" under both the previous CPI(M)-led government and the present Congress-led UDF government.
He said Satheesan had promised before the elections to amend rules that officials allegedly misuse to harass people in the name of vehicle modifications, but failed to fulfil the promise, "like other promises, that too remained just words," the BJP leader claimed.
He accused the UDF government of betraying the youth who voted for it.
Shoukat (33), of Mundaparambu, Puliyakode, near Kizhisseri in Malappuram, who worked as an autorickshaw driver, allegedly died by suicide after posting on Facebook on Thursday that the Motor Vehicle Department had denied a fitness certificate for his vehicle when he approached them without the assistance of agents.
Transport Minister C P John has sought a report on the allegations against the Sub Regional Transport Office, while various autorickshaw drivers’ and employees’ unions staged a protest march.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan also criticised the state government following Shoukat’s death.
