KOCHI: In an incident reminiscent of his infamous ‘get-out’ barb against journalists two years ago, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan once again lost his composure and lashed out at media persons on Wednesday, barely 24 hours after polling ended in the state.
The venue was the Ernakulam Guest House. Pinarayi had reached the guest house from Kannur on Tuesday night and was about to leave for the Nedumbassery airport when media persons waiting outside the guest house approached him and sought his comments on the increase in poll percentage in the state.
Without stopping Pinarayi shouted at reporters saying ‘Maari nilkku angottu’ (move aside). Irritated, he then got into his car and left for the airport.
Interestingly, Pinarayi had shown tremendous tolerance to the media in the past one-and-half months, especially after the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls.
In 2017, Pinarayi had shouted ‘get out’ at cameramen when they went to cover a peace meeting between CPM and BJP leaders at Thiruvananthapuram. In another incident, he had got angry at a reporter when the mike of a news channel brushed against his face.
‘CM unmasked’
KPCC vice-president V D Satheeshan MLA said Pinarayi who was wearing the mask of artificial decency got unmasked on Wednesday. “A politician like Pinarayi might have guessed correctly the increased poll percentage will be a huge setback to LDF. That is why he was back to his normal stubborn attitude. Since polling is over, the media will get back the old Pinarayi who used to yell ‘get out’,” Satheeshan said.
BJP leader and NDA Pathanamthitta candidate K Surendran said Pinarayi, who is fearing failure has shown his ‘panic face’ in front of the media.
Previous ‘offences’
In July, 2017, Pinarayi had lost his cool and asked journalists to ‘get out’ in Thiruvananthapuram
In August last year, Pinarayi was once again livid when the mike of a TV channel brushed his body at Alappuzha
In the past one-and-half-months, however, he had shown tremendous tolerance towards mediapersons