LDF Marches to Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Demanding Expulsion of KAAPA Accused Councillor Sugathan

Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF staged a march to the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on Monday demanding the immediate expulsion of Vazhottukonam ward councillor Sugathan, who is an accused in a KAAPA (Kerala Anti-social Activities Prevention Act) case. The march was inaugurated by CPI(M) Central Committee member and MLA K N Balagopal, with former Education Minister V Sivankutty and MLA V Joy also participating.

Speakers at the march stated that BJP-RSS coterie and criminal gangs flourishing in Thiruvananthapuram pose a grave threat to peaceful civic life in the city. They charged that since Sugathan's election as councillor, his ward has become a hub for RSS-linked criminal elements, and that it was Sugathan who mobilised miscreants from various localities for the RSS attack at Vattiyoorkavu hilltop.

Sugathan was arrested on June 10 in connection with an attempted murder case. He has been an accused in various criminal cases since 2012 and went into hiding after being named in the attempted murder case following his election as a people's representative. KAAPA has been invoked against him on two previous occasions. The march also raised the pointed question of why the BJP fielded Sugathan as its candidate despite his repeated KAAPA history.