Opposition parties stepped up their campaign seeking recall of Lakshadweep administrator Praful Patel for his “anti-people” decisions on a day Kerala High Court stayed an order of the administration.
“News reports from Lakshadweep are quite serious. Challenges imposed on their lives, livelihoods and culture cannot be accepted. Kerala has a strong relationship, a long history of cooperation with LD. Unequivocally condemn devious efforts to thwart it. Perpetrators should desist,” Kerala chief minister and CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan said in a tweet.
Patel, who had served as Gujarat home minister and is believed to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, is accused of unilaterally lifting restrictions on the use of alcohol in the Muslim-majority islands, banning beef products, and demolishing fishermen’s sheds in the coastal areas.
“The local people fear that all these unilateral and anti-people decisions would ultimately lead to the destruction of traditional livelihood and unique culture of Lakshadweep. This has created huge unrest and protest among the local population there,” Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP K.C. Venugopal has written in a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking Patel’s recall.
Several Opposition politicians have written to the President.
Lakshadweep MP and Nationalist Congress Party leader Muhammed Faizal said: “The island is being surrendered to big corporates. A 15 metre wide road is being planned for tourism on an island of 3.5sqkm. This is being done after evacuating the people from their land. Such steps are being taken to serve whose interests?”
The administrator unilaterally implements his agenda without adequate consultation with the people, Faisal claimed and called for protests against the “anti-people” measures.
Venugopal urged the administration to withdraw the orders issued and promulgated in Patel’s tenure, which began in December.
The Congress general secretary in-charge of Lakshadweep, Tariq Anwar, has been directed to organise a protest against the “anti-people” policies of Patel, he said.
Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, besides Congress leaders from the state, including Ramesh Chennithala and Adoor Prakash, have also sought recall of the administrator.
The BJP’s Lakshadweep unit defended the administrator, alleging that false propaganda was unleashed against Patel by Opposition parties as part of their political campaign against the Modi government at the Centre.
BJP Lakshadweep spokesperson Siraj Koya said the party was solidly behind the administrator.
BJP’s Lakshadweep unit general secretary H.K. Mohammed Kasim, however, told PTI that while he was not opposing the reforms undertaken by the administration, those measures should be implemented after winning the hearts of the people.
Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty alleged that the administrator was trying to implement “hidden agenda of the RSS and BJP” in the islands.
He said the party would seek legal options against the “anti-people” measures.
Court setback
The Lakshadweep administration suffered a setback as Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed its order directing the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) to attend pending legal works of various government departments, instead of carrying out his duties in the courts there.
The court granted the stay on a PIL by an islander Mohammed Saleem challenging the administration’s directive to the APP posted in Andrott and Amini islands, to attend to legal works of several departments, including preparation of chargesheet to help the police.
Lakshadweep is under the jurisdiction of Kerala High Court.
The petitioner alleged that the order was rampant abuse of power and an absolute failure of the justice delivery system.
During the hearing, the high court orally told counsel for the administration that the affairs in Lakshadweep were being noticed by it.
