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Time of India

Police halt anti-drugs event, draw ire

Kozhikode: A controversy has erupted over the interruption of a student meeting organized by Wisdom Islamic Organisation (WIO), aimed at addressing various issues including substance abuse , after the police claimed the event went past the 10pm limit. The incident took place at WIO's Kerala Students' Conference held in Perinthalmanna on May general secretary TK Ashraf said that after an unexpectedly large number of students turned up for the meeting, much time was lost in making the necessary arrangements for the same which pushed the event beyond the time limit. "Since there was a strict instruction to stop by 10pm, we precisely arranged the schedule for the speeches. But the programme extended by about three minutes. By then, the police had been called. We responded respectfully, stating that the closing speech would conclude shortly. However, an officer pushed through the tightly packed crowd of female students, climbed onto the stage and began yelling at the speaker. The time then was 10.06pm and just three minutes were left for the speech to conclude. As soon as this was conveyed, we stopped the programme immediately," Ashraf said. "When law enforcers lose their discretion in handling matters, it drains the very essence of the law," Ashraf added. Ashraf said that it is extremely condemnable that events aimed at protecting the new generation from anarchy and substance abuse are met with intolerance, while programmes where often drugs are consumed go unchecked even past IUML national general secretary PK Kunhalikutty condemned the police action and sought to know the govt and police's stance on drug abuse. "What should we understand from the high-handedness shown by the police at the recent anti-drug event held in Perinthalmanna?" he DCC president VS Joy said that the high-handedness displayed by Pinarayi Vijayan's police is something this state will not tolerate.