No need for central forces at Vizhinjam: LDF & Congress

Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling LDF and the opposition Congress in Kerala were in agreement on Sunday that there was no need for central forces to maintain law and order at Vizhinjam here which saw incidents of violence recently in connection with the seaport being built there.

Kerala Ports Minister Ahammed Devarkovil was of the view that Adani Group, which is carrying out the port construction, can seek protection from central forces at the work site, but outside it the police was capable of maintaining law and order.

"We do not need help from central forces to maintain law and order. Kerala Police is capable of handling that. It is Adani which has sought aid from central forces and not us. We are providing them protection," the minister said to reporters.

On Friday, the state government had told the Kerala High Court that it does not have any objection to deployment of central security forces at the under-construction Vizhinjam seaport in Thiruvananthapuram which was hit by violent protests recently halting the work there.

The high court asked the state and central governments to discuss the possibility of deploying the central forces there on a plea by Adani Group seeking the same.

Congress MP and former president of Kerala PCC K Muraleedharan was also opposed to the stationing of central forces.

"The protest cannot be stopped through intimidation by bringing central forces. If the state government objects, central forces will not come," he said.

"However, if the state government wants central forces here under the garb of helping Adani, then Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would be responsible for any action taken by them," Muraleedharan, son of Congress leader and former chief minister K Karunakaran, said.

He said discussions are the only way to resolve the issue.

"We started the project and therefore, we want it to be implemented, but not at the cost of the tears of the fisherfolk. Their concerns have to be resolved," he said.

Devarkovil said that discussions were going on, even unofficially, with the protesting fisherfolk. With the assembly session set to convene from December 5, the Chief Minister and other ministers would be in the state capital and therefore, more talks were possible, the minister said.

He also said no one with common sense would seek halting a project which costs thousands of crores of public money and also that there was no need for a fresh study by putting the work on hold.