PALAKKAD: The visuals of Congress leaders, including MP Ramya Haridas and former MLA V T Balram and Youth Congress leaders Palayam Pradeep and Riyas Mukkoli, sitting in a restaurant to have lunch which were taken by a youth and uploaded on social media created a controversy, as it happened on Sunday when a total lockdown was in force in the state and only parcel service was allowed.
It was alleged that the Congress leaders left the hotel as the youth who took the visuals questioned them. The youth asked the Congress leaders as to why they were sitting inside when everyone stood outside after ordering parcels.The Congress leaders reached the restaurant in Kalmandapam around 2pm after a party meeting. Ramya Haridas said they had ordered biryani parcels and were waiting for them. She said it was the hotel staff themselves who asked them to sit inside as it was raining outside.
She said they never intended to sit and eat inside the restaurant.Meanwhile, Palayam Pradeep and others who came out of the restaurant entered into verbal arguments with the youth which was followed by minor scuffles. The youth who took the visuals later uploaded them on social media which went viral in no time.Meanwhile, the Cusaba police registered a case against the restaurant owner for flouting the lockdown curbs by allowing the Congress leaders to sit inside.
Meanwhile, CPM district secretary C K Rajendran in a statement demanded action against the owner who allowed 10-odd Congress leaders including the Alathur MP and former MLA to sit inside the restaurant and have lunch. He also sought action against the Congress leaders who allegedly manhandled the youth who questioned their action.