UDF walks out of the Assembly alleging government protection for criminal gangs

The move comes after a Congress legislator was denied an adjournment motion to discuss the ruling party's alleged criminal nexus with gold smugglers.

Members of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition walked out of the Assembly on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, denouncing the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for "allowing political criminals beholden to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] to operate with impunity" from inside the Kannur central prison. The UDF was angered that Speaker M. B. Rajesh had denied Congress legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan leave to move an adjournment motion to discuss the ruling party's alleged criminal nexus withagainst the backdrop of the recent "murder" of suspected carrier and Kannur resident, Rameez. Mr. Radhakrishnan said Rameez had died in a "dubious" hit-and-run incident hours before he was supposed to depose to the Customs, Preventive, against his "CPI(M)" handlers, particularly one Arjun Ayenki.