Police, Left-focused Central Agencies in Kerala: TP Ramakrishnan

LDF convener TP Ramakrishnan

Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener TP Ramakrishnan alleged that police machinery and central agencies are being used to win over political opponents in Kerala. At a press conference on Wednesday, he said attacks on media freedom were unacceptable and asked the government to reconsider its position.

“Ever since the UDF government came to power in Kerala, the police machinery has been deployed to hunt down political opponents. Central government agencies are moving around Kerala. These agencies and the UDF government share the intention of disbanding the Left forces in Kerala,” he said.

He criticized the raid on the Reporter TV office, saying it was carried out without following any legal procedures. “The crackdown began at 6am while the First Information Report (FIR) was registered only at 9.45am. Such actions against a media institution have no place in a democratic system and lack genuine intent. This kind of targeted harassment of independent journalism cannot be justified in any way,” he said.

‘double standard’

Mr. Ramakrishnan also expressed concern over the “double standard” in investigations and issues related to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). When an individual manipulating social media for the CMO was charged in a drug case, the investigation itself stalled, he said.

Referring to the ED proceedings against the daughter of Mr. Vijayan T. Veena over alleged payments received by her now-defunct company from another company, he said it was not considered a mere financial dispute between the companies but part of a politically motivated crackdown. “This is part of a move to destroy the CPI(M) and the Left through Mr. Vijayan. That is why we are against it. Otherwise, if it was a financial dispute between companies or an action based on that, we would not have intervened,” he said.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 20:12 IST