The Congress in Kerala said that it will go ahead with its pro-Palestine rally in Kozhikode on November 23, although the District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh had refused permission to conduct it at the venue they proposed to carry it out. The rally is scheduled to happen at the Kozhikode beach on November 23, where the CPI(M)-led Left government of Kerala is organising the Nava Kerala Sadasu. The Collector of Kozhikode said that the Congress could carry out the rally at any other part of the beach other than where the government event was scheduled to take place.
However, State Congress president K Sudhakaran remained adamant and asserted that the rally will take place at any cost as it was earlier planned. "Either the rally will take place or a war with the police will, if they create trouble," he said.
The Nava Kerala Sadasu is a meeting led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet of ministers to interact with the public. It is scheduled to take place on November 25 at the Kozhikode beach.
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The Congress pointed out that the rally was two days ahead of the government event, after which the Collector clarified that they could use other parts of the beach but not the stage, since the district administration would be getting it ready for the ministers’ meeting from November 21.
Interestingly the Congress party had seemed reluctant to conduct a rally or talk in favour of Palestine for weeks after the Israel-Gaza conflict began on October 7. Party leadership had refused permission for Congress leader Aryadan Shoukath to conduct a pro-Palestine rally in Malappuram, who had gone ahead with it anyway and faced a disciplinary committee for it.
Following this, the CPI(M) had extended support to Aryadan and invited him as well as the Indian Union Muslim League, an ally of the State Congress, for its pro-Palestine rally. This irked the Congress and urged the leader of Opposition VD Satheesan to allege that the CPI(M) was using the Palestine issue for political gain. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan brushed off the allegations in a later press meet.
(With inputs from IANS)