UDF to hold protest in Kerala capital on Monday over Hema Committee report

Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will hold a protest on Monday in front of the Secretariat, the administrative hub here, accusing the Left government of protecting culprits reportedly mentioned in the Justice K Hema Committee report.

The opposition would also protest against the alleged protection given by the Pinarayi Vijayan government to those who had created and propagated the controversial "kafir" screenshot in Vadakara constituency during the time of the recent Lok Sabha polls.

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, VD Satheesan, would inaugurate the agitation in front of the Secretariat on September 2 morning, a statement said on Sunday.

UDF Convenor M M Hassan, KPCC president K Sudhakaran, other prominent front leaders including P K Kunhalikutty, P J Joseph, C P John, Anoop Jacob and Sibu Baby John would take part in the protest, it added.

The opposition has been accusing the state government of protecting predators and ignoring the revelations of victims in connection with the recently released Justice Hema Committee report which sheds light into the ill-treatment and exploitation of women in the film industry.

The Congress-led UDF has been continuing its attack on the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala over the kafir social media post. The issue pertains to a post put up ahead of the Vadakara LS election that reportedly asked people not to vote for LDF candidate K K Shailaja as she was a kafir (non-believer).

However, the CPI(M) claimed that it was the opposition which right from the start carried out an obscene and communal poll campaign in that constituency.