Woman MLA files complaint against labour minister; Police seek

In fresh trouble for Congress-led ruling UDF in Kerala, CPI MLA E S Bijimol has filed a complaint against Labour Minister Shibu Baby John and two others in connection with the defamatory public statements over the ruckus in the Assembly on March 13, prompting police to seek legal opinion to register a case against them.
Bijimol, representing Peerumedu constituency in the Assembly, lodged a complaint with state DGP alleging that Kozhikode DCC President K C Abu and M A Wahid MLA had made remarks against her "purposefully to outrage her modesty" and "defame" her in public.
Seeking registration of cases against them, she alleged that though she had thought that Shibu blocked her way in the House on March 13 as part of the agitation, Abu's remarks yesterday gave the impression that "she was blocked by the minister with an intention to harass her".

Abu had told reporters yesterday that the Minister had told him Bijimol "seemed to be enjoying while he blocked her way during the commotion in the House during the March 13 violence."
While Abu made the controversial remarks to reporters at Kozhikode, Wahid made some coloured remarks against the woman MLA at a public speech here.
Though both apologised to Bijimol later, she decided to go ahead with her complaint.

City Police Commissioner H Venkitesh said police has sought legal opinion on registering a case against the leaders, including the minister, based on her complaint.
"We are yet to register a case based on her complaint. We have sought legal opinion from Government Pleader and Director General of Prosecution. We have got one and now awaiting the other one. We will decide upon the further procedures after getting the second opinion," Venkitesh told PTI.

Bijimol sought slapping of "IPC 354 against Shibu Baby John for outraging her modesty and harassing her" and "IPC 354 A (iV) and 509 against Abu and Wahid."
Earlier in the day, Shibu Baby John expressed unhappiness at Abu's remarks and said he would send a legal notice to him for the damage done to his reputation.
The Minister also said he had conveyed his feelings to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and KPCC President V M Sudheeran and had sought action against Abu.
"The remarks cannot be accepted. It has harmed my reputation since my name has been dragged unwarrantly...I will be sending a lawyer's notice to him," he had said.

Chandy and Sudheeran had denounced statements of Abu and Wahid saying the remarks were unbecoming of Congress workers.
With the Assembly set to meet again on March 23, the developments are likely to cause a storm in the House, which witnessed violent incidents on the Budget presentation day.