Thiruvananthapuram: BJP district president Karamana Jayan has alleged that Vazhottukonam councillor R Sugathan has been subjected to sustained political persecution by the CPM and vowed that the BJP would stand firmly behind him.Jayan told reporters on Friday that Sugathan was a popular grassroots leader and claimed that attempts to target him began in 2016 when he was a functionary of Yuva Morcha. Jayan said efforts were made to invoke the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA) against Sugathan in 2023 and 2025 but those moves were subsequently quashed following intervention by higher courts.Jayan dismissed reports suggesting that the BJP councillor had been externed under Kaapa, calling such claims “completely false.” He argued that earlier attempts to invoke the Act were based on cases dating back to 2012 and did not meet the criteria prescribed under Section 2 of the law.The BJP functionary alleged that all seven cases currently cited against Sugathan are politically motivated. He questioned why police had not initiated similar action against the complainant in the latest case, whom he claimed is an accused in 26 criminal cases, including four narcotics-related offences.Jayan said while a plea seeking additional time for Sugathan to appear before investigating officers on health grounds was pending before the high court, police led by the Vattiyoorkkavu SHO entered his residence and arrested him. He alleged that the operation created fear among family members, including children.Jayan also claimed that a favourable high court order was issued after Sugathan’s arrest and that the district collector’s order in the Kaapa case was served while he was in custody, leading to his transfer to another jail.The BJP leader further alleged that the action against Sugathan was politically motivated because he and the BJP had exposed alleged irregularities involving former MLA V K Prasanth and CPM in Vattiyoorkkavu. He said BJP would protect Sugathan from what he termed a “CPM-police conspiracy” and continue exposing alleged corruption in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation.Meanwhile, mayor V V Rajesh, in a news conference, defended his visit to the residence of Sugathan, stating that it was his responsibility as aayor to address concerns involving any of the city’s 101 councillors, irrespective of political affiliation.
