THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major security lapse, Youth Congress workers stormed into the official residence of Health Minister Veena George and placed a wreath at the front door. The YC workers were protesting in connection with alleged incidents of medical negligence at government hospitals. With the incident triggering a row, the City Commissioner ordered a probe into the intelligence failure.
The incident occurred at Thycaud House very close to the city police commissioner’s office.
To protest against the increasing incidents of medical negligence in government hospitals, the Congress workers on Saturday barged into the official residence of Health Minister Veena George and laid a wreath outside the front door in protest. The protest was triggered by the recent case of alleged medical negligence after surgical forceps were found inside the abdomen of a woman who had undergone surgery at Government Medical College Hospital, Vandanam, five years ago.
The protest happened on Saturday around 7.15 am when the Youth Congress workers stormed into the residence. However, Minister Veena George was unavailable as she had left for Pathanamthitta to attend a function.
The protestors managed to evade two officials on guard duty and placed a wreath at the front door of the house and staged a protest. The Cantonment police immediately swung into action and arrested the workers. The police booked the protesters under various sections under BNS for criminal trespass, destruction of public property and obstruction of government officials in the discharge of their duties under the relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS). The city police commissioner has ordered a probe into the intelligence failure.
Meanwhile, the CPM alleged that the protest by the Opposition in the state had crossed all limits, accusing protesters of attempting to trigger unrest by attacking the residence of Health Minister Veena George and disrupting public events.
In a statement issued by the state secretariat, the party claimed that agitators vandalised the minister’s house by breaking open the gate, entering the premises, and placing a wreath inside. It further alleged that a police vehicle was damaged and officers were physically assaulted during the protests. Describing the incidents as part of a larger attempt to incite violence, the CPM said it could not remain a silent spectator to such orchestrated and unlawful agitation.
The party maintained that the state has witnessed a decade of governance focused on welfare and development, and alleged that sections of the Opposition, unable to accept this, are resorting to protests and violence to destabilise the situation.
Reiterating its stance on democratic rights, the CPM said it has always supported peaceful protests but condemned personal attacks on public representatives. “Even during intense struggles in the past, communists have never targeted individuals or attacked their homes. Such actions are not part of democratic protests,” the statement noted.
Wreath protest triggers war of words
T’Puram: Youth Congress workers placing wreath at the front door of the Health Minister’s official residence triggered a political war of words. The minister accused Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan of instigating protests against her. She said the government has already taken all possible steps in the alleged medical lapse.
“We have done everything that needs to be done in the matter. What happened in the name of protest is not acceptable at all,” she said. The minister said it was an attack carried out as directed by the Leader of Opposition.
Meanwhile, V D Satheesan rejected the allegations that he had instructed the Youth Congress workers to protest by laying a wreath in front of the minister’s house. Speaking to the media in Kochi, he said it was not his job to direct anyone to hold such protests.