PALAKKAD: Kerala’s highly charged political scene reached a boiling point on Wednesday after an early morning police raid at a Palakkad hotel where Congress leaders were staying for a bypoll campaign. A few CPM leaders and BJP workers were also staying in the hotel.
The police claimed they were acting on a tip-off about black money transactions for UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil, but Congress leaders alleged it was a planned attempt to implicate them, and gain advantage ahead of the November 20 by-election.
As police searched the premises, tension escalated into chaotic confrontations between leaders and workers of the CPM, the BJP and the Congress. The three-hour search, which concluded at 3:30 am, yielded no illegal funds, police said. Clashes erupted between Congress workers and police, with MPs Shafi Parambil and V K Sreekandan attempting to defuse the situation.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan alleged conspiracy, while CPM and BJP workers claimed Mamkootathil was present during the raid. The CPM accused Congress workers of deliberately enacting a melee to facilitate his escape. Congress leaders disputed this, stating the candidate had left to meet with religious leaders.
The Palakkad Town South Police conducted another raid at the hotel on Wednesday afternoon, re-inspecting rooms and gathering information from KPM Regency’s CEO. CPM and BJP leaders filed complaints calling for investigations into alleged black money transactions and demanding comprehensive inspection and seizure of CCTV footage.
In a dramatic turn of events, the CPM released CCTV footage from the hotel, showing Congress worker Fenny Ninan, the first accused in the fake ID scam in connection with the Youth Congress Organisational election in which Mamkootathil is also under the police scanner, with a trolley bag alongside senior leaders. The UDF candidate is also seen in the footage. The CPM alleged that the bag contained black money. However, the Congress swiftly countered, accusing CPM of spreading false information and overstepping their brief by doing the police’s job. Mamkoottathil questioned how CPM got the video, which was actually collected by police.
Following the raid and ensuing commotion, UDF leaders and party workers marched to the Superintendent of Police’s office. During the march, a minor clash erupted between the protesters and the police. In his address inaugurating the protest, KPCC president K Sudhakaran condemned the raid as a staged “midnight drama” and accused minister M B Rajesh and his brother-in-law of conspiracy.