Kozhikode: Former Kerala Assembly Speaker V.M. Sudheeran on Friday urged Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to take ‘appropriate’ action against the policemen who failed to protect mediapersons, who were attacked by suspected IUML activists at Karipur international airport here.Inaugurating a convention on ”Media and the Centre of Power”, as part of a state-wide campaign organised by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists here, he said people would have welcomed an exemplary action such as suspension of the policemen for dereliction of duty instead of ordering transfers ‘convenient’ to the guilty.Praising the media for upholding the highest journalistic traditions by reporting the revelations made by a victim in the ice cream parlour sex racket, that Kerala Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty had allegedly sexually exploited her, he regretted that they had to face the ire of the vested interests for telling the truth.The Congress leader pointed out that the Karipur attack could have been averted if Kunhalikutty had strongly condemned the first such assault on visual media, which broadcast the disclosures, but unfortunately he kept mum on the issue.
He said the judicial probe ordered into the incident was a routine one and expected the Chief Minister to take a just and appropriate action against the culprits involved in the attacks.Criticising the government for taking an ”ostensible” action, KUWJ state secretary K. Premnath said a meeting of the executive committee scheduled to be held at New Delhi on December 3 would decide whether to cooperate with the judicial probe or otherwise.He said the Union would take out a Parliament march on the 3rd of December demanding constitution of a wage board, which was long over due.Writer Hameed Chendamangaloor,Binoy viswan M.L.A, KUWJ vice-president T.K. Ramakrishan ,Gandhian Thayat Balan, KUWJ district president N.P. Rajendran, and A.K.Ramesh were among those spoke.