Controversial amendment to Kerala police act not be implemented: Pinarayi Vijayan

The Chief Minister, in a release, said the issues related to the amendment of the Act will be discussed in the Legislative Assembly.

The further procedures on the issue will be initiated only after discussing it in the Assembly, Vijayan added.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala, who staged a protest march to the Government Secretariat this morning, alleged that the new amendment to Kerala Police Act is a tacit move of the state government to silence the media and curtail the freedom of speech.

The new amendment to Kerala Police Act shows the intolerance of the Pinarayi Vijayan Government against free speech, the Opposition leader alleged.

"This amendment is against the freedom of speech and expression which is a constitutional right. The new law is a tacit move to silence critics and media. Nothing more, nothing less," he added.

Reacting to the amendment, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday said, "Shocked by the law made by the LDF government of Kerala making a so-called ‘offensive’ post on social media punishable by 5 years in prison."

"How will my friend @SitaramYechury, GS, CPI(M), defend these atrocious decisions?," he tweeted.

Earlier, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had signed the Kerala Police Act Amendment ordinance aiming to prevent cyber attack against women and children.

The Act with addition of Section 118-A stipulates either imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both to those who violate the rule.

Those who produce, publish or disseminate content through any means of communication with an intention to defame anybody can be arrested by the police without getting a complaint from anybody.