In a developing legal situation, the Kerala High Court has received a petition calling for contempt proceedings against three UDF MLAs, including prominent Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. This petition stems from a protest by Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers that has been causing disruptions outside the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.
Heard by Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu on Thursday, the court has directed the Registry to ensure the matter is reviewed by a special bench designated for such cases. The petition, filed by Ernakulam resident N Prakash, accuses the protesters, under the leadership of the cited MLAs, of unlawfully encroaching on the footpath and road in front of the Secretariat with their chairs and presence, thus blocking both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The respondents named in the petition include not only Chennithala but also UDF MLAs M Vincent and K K Rema, former MLA Joseph M Puthussery, State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb, Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, and various officials from the Kerala ASHA Health Workers Association.
The backdrop of this plea is a broader context of prior contempt proceedings filed by Prakash against CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan, relating to another road-blocking incident at a party conference last December. This prior case remains pending.
In his argument, Prakash highlighted previous judicial mandates from the High Court that strictly prohibit the obstruction of footpaths and roads for the purpose of protests or public assemblies. He criticized the political leaders for their participation in the protest, which he claims has exacerbated the disruption caused to the public.
