Kerala CM's outreach programme “Nava Kerala Sadas†marred by incidents of violence
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The protests by Congress-led student outfit Kerala Students Union (KSU) and Youth Congress (YC) against the LDF Government’s outreach programme Nava Kerala Sadas, is triggering law and order issues in various parts of the state with the supporters of the ruling dispensation and opposition coming face to face.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his 20 Cabinet colleagues are currently travelling the length and breadth of Kerala in a luxury bus as part of Nava Kerala Sadas which was flagged off from Kasargod on November 18. The yatra has so far covered eight of the 14 districts and is currently in Idduki. After covering all 140 assembly constituencies the yatra will conclude in Thiruvananthapuram on December 23.
The Nava Kerala Sadas is seen as a major campaign of the ruling LDF ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It may be recalled that the LDF had faced a near rout in the last Lok Sabha polls in 2019 with Congress-led UDF winning 19 of the 20 seats. The LDF wants to put up a better show this time.
The public meetings, and grievance redressal platforms during the ongoing outreach programme has evoked huge response from the people.
In every district, the chief minister’s entourage is facing protests from the opposition Congress, though not on a big scale. KSU and Youth Congress activists have resorted to showing black flags. In some places, the protestors tried to throw themselves in front of the bus carrying the chief minister and the ministers to block the yatra. Such protests had evoked violent retaliation from the CPM workers.
While the Congress has termed these protests as democratic and peaceful, the CPM says the opposition is sending suicide squads in the garb of protestors. During a media interaction on Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan defended the brutal assault on KSU and YC activists by DYFI and CPM members in Perumbaoor in Ernakulam district the other day as a "natural response".
Four KSU activists were booked for allegedly throwing a shoe at the chief minister’s convoy. “An attempt to prevent an attack on the convoy cannot be termed as violence,” the chief minister said. Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnapally was also injured in the incident.
Opposition slams chief minister calls him "sadist"
Opposition Leader V D Satheeshan alleged that CPM criminals were unleashing widespread violence during the Nava Keala Sadas with the blessings of 'sadist’ Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
At a press conference in Kasargod on Monday, the opposition leader accused the chief minister of travelling with two minibuses packed with criminals who have been given a free hand to brutally assault protesters and destroy democratic protests.
“Innocent people are being brutally attacked by the CPM criminals. Many are masquerading as cops and accompanying the yatra. Let the chief minister clarify whether all those who are in khaki pants and white T-shirts are cops or party workers,” he said.
