Thiruvananthapuram: Common man was left in the lurch again on Tuesday here as roads were blocked for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's travel from Cliff House to Muscat Hotel in the morning.
The latest move comes despite the widespread criticism against the heightened security measures for his travel causing repeated inconvenience to the public.
The CM was at Muscat Hotel to attend the meeting of secretaries.
The same restrictions will yet again be implemented when returns to Cliff House after the meeting.
While about seven vehicles and 40 security officials are allowed as per norm for the CM's protection, Pinarayi Vijayan uses double the number of officials and vehicles, reported Manorama News.
The 'route clearance', whereby no cars are allowed to park on the roads he is travelling for many kilometers and posting of cops on duty on either side of the road, has become a nuisance for public. The CM gets Z-plus category security.
CM scared of people, say UDF leaders
Opposition leader V D Satheesan alleged Pinarayi is scared of people and did not want to see anyone on the road when he travels and using the police to scare public.
"Earlier, he was scared of seeing black, was scared of black masks, black churidars and everything black. Even crows at that time were scared to fly as they are black. Now, he is scared of white (a reference to white khadi dress of Congress workers) and is using the police to remove anyone who is wearing a white dress forcibly," Satheesan alleged.
The opposition leader also warned the police to restrain themselves and not to have a 'more loyal than king' attitude.
He said if the police continued their high-handedness against the Congress workers, especially women, the UDF will change their mode of protest.
"We will react as brothers react when their sisters are handled inappropriately," Satheesan said among loud cheers.
He accused Vijayan of misusing public funds by having 40 vehicles in his convoy and deploying 1,000 policemen for his security in every place he visits.
"Why are you so scared? If you are scared, then do not get out. Sit at your office or at Cliff House. You cannot detain people on the roads for your travel. This is not Stalin's Russia but a democratic Kerala," Satheesan said.
He alleged that the Vijayan government has been using preventive detention against Congress cadres.
"The Supreme Court has clarified that preventive detention is illegal. Still the Kerala government is doing it," the opposition leader said.
Who are they afraid of: Kunhalikutty
Senior Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty said the Government should not be afraid of popular agitations but should correct the anti-people decisions that caused the agitations.
"I do not know why there is excessive security for the Chief Minister and police resorting to preventive detentions? Who are hey afraid of?," he said in Kozhikode.
Kunhalikutty said that there was no need to deny change in legislation just because the Opposition had demanded it. "There is no need to see it as a prestige issue," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
