Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday tasked Law Minister A.K. Balan to engage striking PSC rank holders in talks.
The DYFI leadership too has opened negotiations with the agitators. Mr. Balan was likely to meet them on Sunday. The government wanted to avoid the optics of PSC rank holders agitating indefinitely in front of the Secretariat as it makes a concerted political pitch for a second innings in power.
Moreover, the government did not want the youth to "play into the hands of the Opposition.” The Congress and the BJP have expressed solidarity with the agitators.
Both parties had demonstrated across the State accusing the government of backdoor appointments. Many of the protests had culminated in police action injuries to both sides.
Youth Congress leaders were on an indefinite fast at the PSC rank holders’ agitation venue. Congress MLA Shafi Parambil said the government had lied that there was no legal provision to revive the expired civil police officer (CPO) rank list. Two SFI leaders had discredited the rank list and precipitated its expiry by cheating in the PSC test. The slew of backdoor appointments had denied educated youths their chance for government employment.
