LDF, UDF criticise Sugathan’s Viyyur jail swearing in
Political parties in Kerala are debating the appropriateness of a BJP councillor taking his oath of office inside a prison. The High Court permitted the ceremony, citing the rights of public representatives, despite the councillor being detained under anti-social activity laws.
Why it matters
Raises questions about the intersection of criminal justice, democratic representation, and political ethics.
Left Democratic Front (LDF) Parliamentary Party leader S.P.Deepak said on Monday that holding the oath-taking ceremony of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councilor R. Sugathan, an accused in several criminal cases, in jail is an insult to the city residents. The Kerala High Court allowed the oath taking ceremony to be held on Tuesday inside the Viyyur Central Prison in Thrissur, where the Vazhottukonam ward councillor is lodged for six-month preventive detention under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA). “This is an incident that is unheard of in the history of Thiruvananthapuram city or Kerala. There have been cases of people contesting elections after being imprisoned in political cases and winning. But this is a case of a person who is accused in all kinds of criminal cases and is not fit to be kept in the city.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in