The CPI on Thursday opposed the LDF government’s move to confer magisterial powers on the city police commissioners of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

“Left parties have always opposed conferring magisterial powers on police commissioners. The CPI also is against it,” CPI State secretary Kanam Rajendran said on Thursday. The State leadership of the CPI and CPI(M) will soon hold discussions on the party’s stand on this issue, Mr. Rajendran told a press conference here.

Mr. Rajendran also criticised the stand taken by Cultural Affairs Minister A.K. Balan on the cartoon row. The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi is an autonomous body and no Minister has the power to interfere in its decisions, Mr. Rajendran said.

He also asked whether the Minister would withdraw the film awards if a similar complaint arose.

After a decision of the akademi to present the best cartoon award to a work depicting Bishop Franco Mulakkal had kicked up a controversy, Mr. Balan had instructed the akademi to review the decision. In a statement on Wednesday, Mr. Balan stated that the government does not agree with the akademi's selection of a work which “insults religious symbols.”