Kerala CM statement supporting Rahul 'not genuine', CPM has 'double agenda': Cong

Kochi: The Congress on Saturday accused the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of having a "double agenda", as they made statements supporting Rahul Gandhi and at the same time allegedly directed police to brutally attack protesting activists of KSU and the party's youth wing.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State Assembly V D Satheesan made the allegation a day after the CPI(M) in Kerala and Vijayan condemned Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Vijayan had termed it an attack on democracy by the Sangh Parivar as well as revenge politics of the BJP.

Satheesan said the statements made by them were "unfortunately not genuine", as otherwise they would not have permitted the police to allegedly brutally beat up activists of the Kerala Students Union and the Youth Congress who held a protest march to Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday evening.

He also claimed that Congress workers who held a protest in Kozhikode were also brutally beaten up.

"Several young KSU and YC workers are hospitalised with serious head injuries. Who gave permission to the police to hit them on their heads? All this has happened with the active knowledge and direction of the CM. It was done to please the BJP," the LoP said, speaking to reporters here.

"This government functions with a double agenda. Therefore, their statements supporting Rahul Gandhi are unfortunately not genuine," Satheesan contended.

He also said that the Congress and the UDF would be holding protests across the state against the disqualification of Gandhi. The party would also hold a protest march to the Kerala Raj Bhavan on March 27, he added.

Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court on Wednesday in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. A day later, the LS Secretariat in a notification said that his disqualification was effective from March 23 -- the day of his conviction.