A clash erupted between Congress MLA Ramya Haridas and local party workers in Chirayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram, with both sides levelling allegations against each other, police said on Saturday.
Haridas alleged that she was attacked and threatened by local Congress leaders, while district panchayat member Sajith Muttambalam and party leader Sajad gave a different account, alleging that the MLA and her associates had confronted them over a WhatsApp post, following which a scuffle broke out.
Haridas, who sustained injuries in the incident on Friday night, sought treatment at the Chirayinkeezhu taluk hospital.
Police have registered a case against seven Congress workers, including Sajith and Sajad, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on Haridas' statement, police said.
A separate case will be registered based on a complaint filed by Sajad, police said.
The dispute reportedly relates to the participation of Haridas' staff member, Palayam Pradeep, in a block panchayat committee meeting attended by the MLA, elected representatives and officials.
Haridas said Pradeep was serving as her personal assistant, while Sajad disputed this, claiming that the MLA's PA was another person named Vimal.
Haridas told reporters that a bank election had recently been held in the area, with Congress members contesting on three separate panels.
"I declined to attend the conventions of any of the panels as I did not want to be seen supporting one faction over another," she said.
She alleged that Sajad subsequently made repeated negative remarks against her on WhatsApp and social media.
"When I asked him about the posts, Sajad said he had made them at the direction of Sajith and Viswanathan," she said.
Haridas said Sajad later invited her to his house to discuss the issue and that she went there with others.
She alleged that Sajith, Adheesh, Binoy and several others subsequently arrived at the house, where Sajith behaved aggressively and threatened her.
"There is no doubt that they hatched a conspiracy to destroy us this way," Haridas told reporters.
She alleged that Sajith threatened her, saying she would not have legs to walk back the way she had come.
Sajad, however, gave a different account of the incident.
He told reporters that the dispute began after he questioned in a party WhatsApp group why Pradeep had attended a block panchayat committee meeting.
"Pradeep has been exercising undue influence in the constituency since Haridas became MLA, and we questioned his participation in the meeting," he said.
Sajad said that after he posted the message around 4 pm on Friday, Haridas, Pradeep and several others arrived at his chicken shop later that night.
He alleged that they demanded to see his wife and daughter and that he was then forcibly taken from the shop to his house.
Sajad said some local Congress leaders, including Sajith, were already at a nearby junction and joined them on the way to his house.
"After reaching the house, Pradeep took out his mobile phone and asked my daughter to read the WhatsApp post aloud. When I objected, Haridas supported Pradeep," he said.
He claimed that a heated argument followed, with Sajith questioning the MLA over the incident.
Visuals of the confrontation that have surfaced show Haridas involved in an altercation with some of those present. In the footage, she is heard saying, "Leave my hand," and asking, "Who are you?"
Sajad claimed that the scuffle seen in the footage occurred after Haridas moved towards the person recording the incident.
He denied Haridas' claim that she had been invited to his house to discuss the matter over tea.
Instead, he alleged that she and her associates had gone to his house after confronting him over the WhatsApp post.
Sajad said he had submitted a complaint seeking police protection and that his wife had also filed a complaint.
He alleged that police had not yet recorded their statements.
The Congress Thiruvananthapuram district leadership and the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee have taken note of the incident and decided to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the matter, party sources said.
Both the MLA and the Congress workers would be heard as part of the inquiry, the sources said.
(With inputs from PTI)