Opposition Left Democratic Front has rejected offer of talks with the State Government and will go ahead with an ‘Occupy Wall Street’-like siege to the State Secretariat here from Monday.
The Left Front said it would mobilise at least a lakh of cadres for the indefinite siege to press for the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy over the solar scam.
Pinarayi Vijayan, State secretary of the CPI(M), made the Front’s stand clear on Sunday after the Chief Minister offered to hold talks with the Left Front.
The Chief Minister said the government would not use force if the agitation remained peaceful.
On its part, the State committee of the Left Front declared that the agitation would be peaceful unless the activists were provoked.
Left Front has threatened not to allow any of the four gates of the Secretariat to remain open from Monday unless the Chief Minister agreed to its demands for his resignation and a judicial probe into solar scam.
At least one lakh activists reaching the capital city from all over the State will throng the periphery of the seat of the State administration.
POLCE PRESENCE
But they would not disturb law and order unless provoked by “the strongest presence ever of armed posse of police being deployed at one place in the State to deal with a people’s movement.”
At least 20 companies of paramilitary forces have been moved into the capital, which was nothing but an intimidating tactic, Pinarayi said. The Chief Minister countered it by saying that this was only a stand-by arrangement to deal with a worst-case scenario. In fact, the State police would form the first line of defence around the Secretariat and immediate neighbourhood.
GOVT DUTY-BOUND
Chandy said the Government was duty-bound to protect the rights of employees who wanted to come into the Secretariat for duty and take care of their security and well-being.
Meanwhile, the employees have been notified that they would not be allowed to go on leave during the strike period.
The government also promised them special transport to the Secretariat, which will be under the protection of the Central Reserve Police Force.
The State police issued advisories to hotels, lodges and marriage halls in the State capital to maintain stringent curbs on guests.
Owners of carriages, lorries and other transport vehicles have also been warned against transporting people in violation of permit norms. The district administration has also imposed liquor prohibition in the district.
vinson.kurian@thehindu.co.in