Election Commission Probes Kerala Government’s Move to Withdraw Anti-CAA Protest Cases

The Election Commission (EC) has launched an investigation into the Kerala State Government’s decision to withdraw cases related to the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests, issuing a notice to the Chief Secretary through the Chief Electoral Officer. The move comes after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s announcement to withdraw a significant number of cases, sparking controversy and allegations of communal appeasement by opposition parties, particularly the BJP.

With the Model Code of Conduct in force since March 14, the EC aims to ascertain whether the State Government’s actions violate electoral norms. Depending on the findings, the government may be compelled to retract its decision if it’s deemed a violation of the code. Chief Minister Vijayan had stated that while most cases would be withdrawn, those involving serious offenses would not be affected, leaving the final decision to trial courts.