Kerala: Mahatma Gandhi's Statue Vandalised In Clash Between Cong & CPM Workers In Kannur

In an act of irreverence, some miscreants vandalised Mahatma Gandhi's statue at the Payyannur Congress block office in Kerala's Kannur district after a clash between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) and Congress erupted on Monday.

As per reports, a clash broke out between Congress and CPM workers when a group of more than 30 CPM workers and local leaders stormed into the Payyannur Congress block office and attacked them on Monday evening. The incident reportedly took place in Kannur's Payyanunur at 08:00 PM Monday where the furniture of the office was also destroyed in the clash. The miscreants also smashed the shelves where official records were kept. During the clash, some miscreants allegedly vandalised Mahatma Gandhi's statue which was in front of the office. Reacting to this, the Payyannur Congress constituency committee protested against the incident.

This incident comes following the protest led by CPM MLA TI Madhusoodanan in Payyannur town alleging that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was attacked on a plane. Notably, incidents of clashes between CPM and Congress workers have been reported from several parts of Kerala after it was reportedly stated that CM was attacked on the plane allegedly by Congress workers.

Congress workers tried to attack Kerala CM: CPM

As protests demanding the resignation of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan continue to gain momentum after allegations levelled by Swapna Suresh in the gold smuggling case, a video showing a scuffle between two Congress workers and a CPI(M) leader inside an aircraft in which the Kerala CM was travelling went viral.  

Youth Congress state vice-president and former MLA KS Sabarinathan released a three-second video on his social media and claimed that the CPI(M) leader and LDF convenor EP Jayarajan attacked the two Congress workers.

The Congress workers who posed as passengers managed to enter a flight in which Kerala CM Vijayan was travelling from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. In the visuals, it can be seen that the Congress workers were seen wearing black shirts and raised slogans against Pinarayi Vijayan inside the flight, demanding his resignation. Soon after a senior CPI(M) leader and LDF convenor EP Jayarajan came forward and pushed the protesting Youth Congress workers. After the flight landed, the duo staged a sit-in protest on the runway. Republic TV has learnt from sources that both the Congress workers were detained and in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) custody.

EP Jayarjan, on the other hand, alleged that Youth Congress workers were trying to attack Vijayan inside the aircraft. He claimed that both the workers, raising slogans tried to attack the CM Vijayan. He also accused them of being drunk and creating a ruckus inside the flight. 

Notably, CM Pinarayi has been facing protests by Congress and BJP workers since the gold-smuggling case key accused Swapna Suresh made a claim that he and his family members had a role in some smuggling activities.