KANNUR/KASARAGOD: Violence in Thiruvananthapuram spilled over to Kannur and Kasaragod on Thursday, with DYFI, the youth wing of the CPM, confronting Minister for Sports, Archaeology, Archives, Registration and Youth Affairs O J Janeesh during his visit to the districts. The protests led to scuffles between police and activists at several places.
Meanwhile, BJP workers staged marches to MLA offices in Kasaragod, condemning the UDF government for allegedly failing to prevent the attack on the BJP state office, Mararji Bhavan, in Thiruvananthapuram.
Janeesh was in Kannur and Kasaragod to attend various events. At Kuppam in Kannur, DYFI protesters stopped the minister’s convoy and confronted his vehicle as he was heading to Kasaragod after an event in Taliparamba. Visuals from the spot showed protesters hitting the vehicle with their hands and what appeared to be stones. The vehicle’s rain guard and flagstaff were damaged during the protest.
The protest continued in Payyanur, where DYFI workers again confronted the minister’s convoy.
Heavy police picketing was deployed in Nileshwar to prevent any untoward incident as Janeesh was scheduled to visit the Nileshwar palace. Activists intercepted the minister’s convoy near Thaliyil temple and showed black flags to him. Police resorted to lathicharge to remove the protesters from the spot.
Shortly afterwards, DYFI activists regrouped at Palace Ground and staged another protest. The protests were a fallout of the Youth Congress-SFI violence in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday evening.
Janeesh proceeded to the venue and attended the scheduled events in Nileshwar after police forcibly removed the DYFI workers from the spot.
MLA M Vijin and DYFI state secretary warned Janeesh, MP Shafi Parambil and Youth Congress workers that DYFI would confront them if attacks on SFI activists continued.
“The Youth Congress state president is misleading the people of Keralam by making false statements. Yesterday, the Youth Congress workers, led by Janeesh and Shafi Parambil, held a protest against Gyanesh Kumar. Today, they are trying to claim that we attacked them during their protest,” said Vijin.
State Congress president Sunny Joseph condemned the attack on Janeesh. He alleged that CPM-DYFI activists attacked the minister with the intention of harming him. They damaged the minister’s vehicle and snatched the key of the police escort vehicle, he said.
BJYM workers stop CM’s convoy, wave black flags
Kochi: A group of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers stopped Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s vehicle and waved black flags at him during a protest in Aluva on Thursday. The incident occurred around 9pm when seven BJYM workers associated with the Ernakulam North committee intercepted the Chief Minister’s convoy. Police detained the protesters and removed them from the spot.
CMO alleges CPM role in attack on minister
T’Puram: The Chief Minister’s Office on Thursday alleged that the attack on Sports Minister and Youth Congress state president O J Janeesh in Kannur was carried out with the knowledge of the CPM leadership and warned that those behind the incident would be brought to justice.
In a statement, the CMO said the minister’s vehicle was attacked several times in Payyannur and Taliparamba, alleging that DYFI-CPM activists deliberately targeted him. It said both the attackers and CPM-DYFI leaders allegedly behind the conspiracy would face legal action. The CMO linked the incidents to the attack on former chief minister Oommen Chandy and accused the CPM of attempting to create unrest to divert attention from its post-election crisis.
