Students being compulsorily pushed to be Maoists: IUML leader

IUML leader MK Muneer on Tuesday said that the two students who were arrested by the State police and charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for alleged Maoist links are being "compulsorily" pushed to be Maoists.

His statement pertains to the NIA case against two students Alan Shuhaib and Thaha Fasal, who were arrested by State police and charged under UAPA for alleged Maoist links.

"The police is unable to specifically say that there is evidence in this matter. They had pamphlets of Maoist literature. Apart from that, they had Marxist Communist Party's manifesto and some other books which are not related to Maoism, so reading is not an offence. These students are compulsorily being pushed to be Maoists," said Muneer.

"If this is not an offence then how come UAPA was charged on them? If the State government approaches the Central government, this can be redirected to the State enquiry officers itself but the government is not taking any initiative," he added.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the Kerala Government will not encourage any kind of Maoist activities and law will take its own course regarding the NIA case against the two students.

Replying to a notice of adjournment motion moved by the Opposition demanding to discuss arrest and NIA case against Allan and Thaha Pinarayi Vijayan said: "CPI (M) stand is very clear. We oppose Maoism and we are against Naxalism too. Everybody knows what Maoists do. But Mao (Mao Zedong) was not a leader who asked to snatch peoples' money or kill people. Mao never supported such things. The term 'Maoists' is wrong. The extreme Maoists ideas should never be encouraged. The government will not interfere in the police case. Law will take its own course.