Nilambur bypoll: Controversy erupts over checking of UDF leaders' vehicle

Malappuram: A fresh controversy has erupted amidst the Nilambur assembly bypoll campaign following a late Friday night inspection of a vehicle in which some UDF leaders were travelling.

Congress MP Shafi Parambil and party MLA Rahul Mamkootathil were among those travelling in the vehicle and were seen arguing, in visuals shown on a TV channel, with the election and police officials over the incident near Vadapuram here.

Parambil and Mamkootathil told reporters on Saturday that the intention behind the checking was to "insult" them.

At the same time, the two Congress leaders said that even though they were "irritated" by the "insult", they are not going to lodge a complaint as they have no interest in making it a point of political discussion during the ongoing campaign.

The CPI(M), on the other hand, contended that the Congress-led UDF was creating an unnecessary controversy over a procedure which was normal during the election process.

Explaining what happened on Friday night, Parambil said that he, Mamkootathil and some others were coming back after having food when the police asked them to stop the vehicle and step out.

"I stopped the car and got out. They asked me to open the boot, and I did that. They asked me to take out the suitcase and other baggage, and I did that as well. Then they simply said everything was fine and that we could go.

"At that time, we insisted that they inspect the suitcase and video record the same and also answer if anything was found in it. We insisted, as we understood the intention behind the checking was not an inspection, but to insult us," Parambil said.

Both Congress leaders contended that they cooperated with the checking in every way, but when the officials did not inspect the suitcase after it was taken out of the vehicle, they insisted that it be opened and checked.

In the visuals, the two Congress leaders can be heard asking the officials whether they had x-ray vision and insisting that they open the suitcase.

Mamkootathil was also seen in the video telling the officials that they will be "rewarded" for their action.

On Saturday morning, another team of election officials at the same check post told TV channels that vehicles of MPs, MLAs and ministers were not being sidelined from checking.

They said that the vehicles of MPs P V Abdul Wahab and K Radhakrishnan were inspected in the morning.

They, however, claimed a lack of knowledge about what happened during the previous night.

Following the incident, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan and party candidate in Nilambur bypoll M Swaraj said that everyone should cooperate with such inspections.

Govindan claimed that the UDF was creating unnecessary controversy over the issue, as such inspections were part of the election process.

"We have no issue with our vehicles being examined," he added.

Meanwhile, Malappuram District Collector V R Vinod, who is also the District Election Officer, said that "comprehensive checking of vehicles" was part of the duties of the Static Surveillance teams and requested the public to cooperate with these "mandatory activities in connection with the conduct of elections".

The Collector, in a statement, said that as part of enforcing the Model Code of Conduct, 10 Static Surveillance teams, nine flying squads, three anti-defacement units, and two video surveillance teams were working in the Nilambur legislative assembly constituency.

"These are the mandatory requirements as per the Election law and the instructions issued by the Election Commission of India," he said.

Last year, during the Palakkad assembly bypoll, there was a political row over a suitcase brought by the then Congress candidate Mamkootathil to the hotel where he and other party leaders were staying during the election campaign.

The CPI(M) had alleged that unaccounted money was brought to the hotel in that suitcase.

Despite the allegations, Mamkootathil won with a huge majority from the Palakkad assembly seat.