Cong seeks Kerala CM's resignation over 'attack' on its workers by CPI(M) cadres

Kochi, Nov 22 (IANS) Kerala Leader of Opposition (LoP) V.D Satheesan on Wednesday again launched a broadside against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for giving a clean chit to CPI(M) workers who allegedly attacked Congress workers waving blacks flags at the CM and the cabinet members on November 20, when their month-long outreach yatra reached Kannur.

Seeking an apology from the CM, the Congress leader demanded his resignation calling his behaviour "unbecoming of a Chief Minister".

Satheesan took on CM Vijayan for the violent incident that took place in Kannur where the leaders reached as part of the state wide yatra “Nava Kerala Sadas (New Kerala Assembly)”, that was kicked off from Manjeswaram in Kasargod on November 18.

"While Vijayan who is also the Home Minister said the party workers were trying to prevent the Youth Congress workers waving black flags from being hit by the bus, in the FIR registered against his party workers they have been charged under murder charges. We all saw how brutally the CPI(M) workers were attacking our activists with sticks, iron rods and flower pots," said Satheesan.

"But Vijayan says they were trying to save the lives of our workers and applauded his party workers and asked them to repeat the same in future also. We have decided to seek legal recourse for Vijayan's statement as it amounts to creating violence," said Satheesan.

After the TV channels showed the attack unleashed by the CPI(M) workers, on Wednesday State Ministers like M. B. Rajesh and P. Rajeeve sought to downplay Vijayan's remarks termed it as one "filled with dry humour. "

Vijayan is on a state-wide trip, which will pass through all 140 Assembly constituencies, and culminate on December 24 in the state capital.

While the Chief Minister Vijayan has touted this trip as the beginning for building a new Kerala, the Opposition has termed it as "extravagance and PR exercise" ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF has now decided to launch their own yatra across the state to highlight the misgovernance of the Vijayan government which has now completed half its tenure of his second term.

On Wednesday, a controversy surfaced when a top educational authority in Malappuram district directed school headmasters of state-run schools in the district to see that school students are taken to take part in the public meeting of Vijayan.

With the media taking it up in a big way, a rejoinder came stating that there are provisions to use the school bus to take students who are members of science clubs in schools.

Incidentally, this fresh direction came after the Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed a government order which allowed the use of school buses of government educational institutions to transport people to the venue of the meeting led by Vijayan.

Meanwhile, on the fifth day of the trip, Vijayan chaired a cabinet meeting in Kannur, the first since the state wide bus trip started.