Kerala CM Satheesan condemns detention of Pinarayi Vijayan in Delhi

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Saturday condemned the detention of CPI-M leader and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by the Delhi Police and directed the State Chief Secretary Bishwanath Sinha and the Resident Commissioner Puneet Kumar in New Delhi to coordinate with the police authorities for his immediate release.

In a social media post, Satheesan said he was deeply concerned and strongly condemn the arbitrary detention of Vijayan, who is currently being held at the Mandir Marg Police Station.

"On my instructions, the Keralam Chief Secretary and the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi are in direct contact with Delhi Police authorities to coordinate all necessary steps for his immediate release," the Chief Minister added.

Satheesan's intervention came amid reports that Vijayan, who had arrived in the national capital to protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, had been kept in a police vehicle for nearly three-and-a-half hours before being taken to the police station.

The prolonged detention reportedly left the veteran leader experiencing physical discomfort.

CPI-M MP John Brittas, who was accompanying Vijayan, said the police had failed to take his age into consideration and had allegedly denied him food and his scheduled medication.

Brittas also alleged that the police were refusing to release the leaders without instructions from higher authorities.

The Delhi Police, however, said that Vijayan and the other leaders had not been formally arrested and would be released shortly.

Vijayan's detention came as CPI-M leaders and activists prepared to march from Kerala House in New Delhi to protest against the Chief Election Commissioner.

The police had also taken into custody the CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby, State Secretary M.V. Govindan, P.K. Sreemathi, K.K. Shailaja and Politburo member Viju Krishnan, besides Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leaders and Students' Federation of India President Adarsh Saji.

The detention of the senior leaders triggered protests from those accompanying Vijayan, including former Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal and Brittas, who alleged that the police had ignored their objections while keeping them on the move in a vehicle for hours.

Satheesan's intervention placed the Kerala government in direct contact with the Delhi Police as concerns mounted over the treatment of the former Chief Minister during the protest.

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