Activists belonging to CPI(M)'s youth wing DYFI and its student wing SFI in Kerala charged at the convoy of Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa during his visit to Kannur on Tuesday. The protesters blocked the convoy, and once they seemingly identified the SUV that Yediyurappa was in, they chased it and attacked it with flag poles and sticks. They also waved black flags at the CM's convoy and shouted slogans urging him to "Go back."
Visuals show around 20 activists running towards the convoy and trying to stop the first car in the convoy. Later they rush to the next few cars in line. They then chase an SUV, with the CM inside it and one activist can be seen hitting the bonnet of the car with his flag, and others tried to do the same, even as everyone keeps screaming 'go back, go back' throughout.
The protesters were immediately arrested and removed from the spot, a police official said.
Kannur Superintendent of Police Prateesh Kumar confirmed the incident. "We had already detained a few, but some others rushed to the convoy. They blocked and hit the car. The car did not sustain any damage."
"This is the work of someone with mischievous intent. I am a person who has always believed in God and my visit to Kerala was a personal one. Just because a few miscreants made a mistake, it would be wrong to condemn all people from Kerala. An incident in god's own country would bring down the reputation of the state," BS Yediyurappa tweeted.
ಕೇರಳದ ದೇಗುಲಕ್ಕೆ ತೆರಳಿದಾಗ ನಡೆದ ಘಟನೆ ಪಟ್ಟಭದ್ರ ಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿಗಳ ಸಂಚು. ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೂ ನಾನು ದೈವತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಪಾರ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ಇಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡವನು. ಇದು ನನ್ನ ವೈಯುಕ್ತಿಕ ಭೇಟಿ. ಕೆಲವರ ಕುಕೃತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ಕೇರಳಿಗರನ್ನೂ ದೂಷಿಸುವುದು ತಪ್ಪು. ದೇವರ ನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಾದ ಇಂತಹ ಘಟನೆ ಕೇರಳದ ಘನತೆಯನ್ನು ತಗ್ಗಿಸದಿರಲಿ.#kerala
— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) December 24, 2019
A source close to the Chief Minister told TNM, "The CM's security persons in the first convoy vehicle pushed the protesters away. When the protesters realised it's not the CM's vehicle, they came to the Innova car and started hitting the right side, where the CM was sitting."
The Karnataka Chief Minister arrived in Kannur on Monday to offer prayers at a few temples. The police arrested 23 DYFI and SFI members. A few youth Congress members too have been detained for attempting to show black flags to the Karnataka Chief Minister.
The activists were protesting against the recent illegal detention of some Kerala journalists at Mangaluru when they went to cover the death of two persons in suspected police firing during the protest over the controversial amendment of the Citizenship Act (CAA).
Black flags were also waved at Union Minister V Muraleedharan by a group of activists of Students Federation of India (SFI), the students' wing of the ruling CPI(M), when the minister came to attend a function at the Town Hall in Kozhikode. Though police personnel immediately arrested and removed the protesters using force from inside the hall, they continued to raise slogans against CAA and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people, under the banner of Muslim Coordination Committee, took out a protest march to Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor.
Holding placards and banners stating "Protect Secularism" and "No CAA... No NRC", the protesters including children squatted on the road and raised slogans against the Centre and the Governor Arif Mohammed Khan who repeatedly voiced support to the Act.
Youth League workers continued to lay siege to post offices in several places including in Kasaragode and Kannur. Their head post office march and dharna turned violent in Kozhikode on Monday.
(With PTI inputs)