Protests against the Kerala Chief Minister over Swapna Suresh’s fresh allegations escalated on Monday, June 13, after two Youth Congress workers raised slogans against the Chief Minister aboard an aircraft in which he was travelling to Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur. Swapna Suresh, a key accused in a gold-smuggling case, had named Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family members in connection with the case.
Two youth Congress workers, one of them wearing a black shirt, raised slogans against Vijayan inside the aircraft in which he travelled from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram after it landed. A video clip of the incident released on social media by Youth Congress state vice-president and former MLA KS Sabarinathan showed the two protesters being forcefully pushed away by a person, presumed to be EP Jayarajan, who was accompanying the Chief Minister. The duo is questioning whether they do not have a right to question him.
Youth Congress has alleged that senior CPI(M) leader and LDF convener EP Jayarajan pushed the protesting Youth Congress workers on the flight. One of them, shortly thereafter, told a TV channel over the phone from inside the airport that they were badly beaten up by Jayarajan and the gunmen of the Chief Minister and that his colleague suffered multiple injuries. He also alleged that they were denied medical aid at the airport.
When they were being taken away by the police in an ambulance, one of them responded to allegations that they were inebriated, and told the reporters that he has never had a drink in his life and that his medical examination be conducted right away. LDF convenor EP Jayarajan had alleged that the Youth Congress workers were drunk, could not talk properly as a result and that they tried to attack the Chief Minister. He also alleged that Congress was "adopting methods of terror groups".
Later, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan issued a statement saying that what happened on the flight was condemnable and the top leadership of Congress was justifying the actions of the Youth Congress workers, which means that the whole incident was pre-planned. He said that it was a challenge to democracy and alleged that the Congress’s goal was to create chaos in the state for which they also had the support of BJP.
“The Congress’s goal is to create chaos across the country. It also has the support of the BJP. There is a constant campaign to provoke those who love the government and the people as a whole. I urge everyone to protest democratically against such violent and anarchic moves, and to be careful not to fall into the trap of the opposition,” the Kerala CM said in the statement.
While the actions of the Youth Congress workers was termed as "condemnable" and a "terror act" by Vijayan and LDF convener EP Jayarajan respectively, the incident led to attacks against some Congress offices, including its state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, allegedly by workers of CPI(M) and its youth wing DYFI.
After the attack on the KPCC office in the State capital, veteran Congress leader AK Antony, who was present there at that time, told reporters that "it was something that should not have happened" and he would like to know the response of the Chief Minister and CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan regarding the same.
"Let them decide what action should be taken (for the attack on KPCC office)," he said.
According to others present at the KPCC office, allegedly a big group of CPI(M) workers arrived there and hurled abuses and stones at the office, destroyed the flex boards there and even damaged a vehicle parked outside it.
There were also reports of some other Congress offices being damaged in other parts of the State allegedly by CPI(M) or DYFI workers. There was also reportedly a clash between Youth Congress and DYFI workers in an area in Kannur district. CPI(M) also alleged attacks against its offices in some parts of the State capital.
CM Pinarayi has been facing protests by the Congress and BJP workers ever since Swapna Suresh alleged that he and his family members had a role in some smuggling activities.
With PTI inputs