Keralam | Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday rejected the BJP's allegation that the UDF government was adopting "Talibanism" by registering a case against a television journalist.
Responding to reporters, Satheesan said the BJP was itself registering cases against journalists across the country.
"They are registering cases against journalists across the country. Are they adopting Talibanism?" he asked.
The chief minister, however, declined to divulge details about the case registered against television journalist Aparna Kurup over remarks she made while anchoring a debate on a television channel.
The Kochi city cyber police on Monday registered a case against Kurup for allegedly hurting religious sentiments while anchoring a political debate on controversial anti-women remarks by Sunni Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar.
BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had condemned the registration of the case, alleging that the UDF government had "surrendered to religious fundamentalists".
Chandrasekhar had said the journalist faced death threats and cyber attacks for speaking against Kanthapuram's remarks on women, but instead of taking action against those responsible, the government registered a case against her.
He alleged that the government had halted action against a person accused of threatening the journalist due to pressure from organisations such as the Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami.
"When a case was registered against the person who threatened the journalist, Muslim League MLAs publicly opposed the action, and the Home department withdrew it out of fear of them," he alleged.
"Keralam is witnessing such actions reminiscent of Taliban rule today," Chandrasekhar had alleged.
