Madhani Arrest – High-level deal struck behind curtains

KOLLAM: Before the drama over the arrest of PDP chairman Abdul Nasser Madhani drew to a close, late on Monday night there were reports quoting Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan that Madhani would surrender on Tuesday afternoon. Madhani had told reporters on Tuesday that the date, time and venue of arrest were decided only late on Monday night. Didn’t it reveal the high-level understanding arrived at behind the curtains in the late hours on Monday?

 On August 14, a police team led by Kollam SP Harshitha Attaluri made the first move towards Anwarsseri but could reach only up to the gate. It is said that the SP received a message and police action came to a standstill. Since then the police had enough opportunity to enter Anwarsseri and execute the arrest. Even as Madhani reiterated that he would not resist an arrest, the police did not receive the go-ahead from the higher-ups due to reasons unknown. Top police officers of the state were fumbling for words in front of their Karnataka counterparts on Monday morning as they had to withdraw from the move to arrest Madhani at the last minute due to the red flag shown by their political bosses.

 The developments over the last few days had indeed underlined the suspicions of Karnataka Home Minister V S Acharya that the Kerala Government was playing a political drama. Even the ‘so-called arrest’ of Madhani took place at the date and time decided by him and not by the police.  In the coming days, Kodiyeri is sure to come under fire from his opponents inside and outside the party for the Madhani case crisis. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala had filed the first salvo on Tuesday.

Others are likely to follow suit and Kodiyeri will have to explain why he fumbled to arrest Madhani even after CPM general secretary Prakash Karat clarifying that the case against Madhani was not politically motivated.

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