KOCHI: After reaping huge success in local body polls in four panchayats, Twenty20 has felicitated a couple for showing the courage to cast their votes at a violence- marred polling booth at Kizhakkambalam on the polling day. Twenty20 also handed over a prize of Rs 1 lakh to 33-year-old Printu N A and his wife.
“Printu and his wife are bravehearts of Kizhakkambalam. They showed the courage to return to the booth where they were assaulted and cast their votes. We should continue our fight against those political parties which threaten and intimidate voters,” said Twenty20 president Sabu M Jacob.Printu N A and his wife were among the voters in Kizhakkambalam who were assaulted and chased away from a polling booth by a group of persons when they went to cast their votes.
A video showing Printu being brutally beaten up by a few persons in front of his wife at the polling booth went viral on social media a day after the polling. Though Printu and his wife hailed from Wayanad, they have been living in Kizhakkambalam for 14 years.
According to Twenty20, the local activists of both the CPM and the Congress objected to the couple casting their vote in Kizhakkambalam alleging that they were not natives of Kizhakkambalam. They protested despite the couple having valid electoral ID cards. However, the couple could return to the booth under heavy police protection in the evening and cast their vote.