CPI(M) workers booked for assaulting Youth Congress activists who waved black flags at Kerala CM

Kannur (Kerala), Nov 21 (PTI) The Kerala police on Tuesday registered a case against 14 CPI(M) activists here for allegedly assaulting the Youth Congress workers who had waved black flags at the cavalcade of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The incident occurred in the Pazhayangadi area here on Monday, where the chief minister and his cabinet were travelling as part of the Nava Kerala Sadas, a government outreach programme.

The Youth Congress workers waved black flags and blocked the cavalcade, prompting an alleged attack by CPI(M) workers using helmets and flower pots.

Police have registered a case under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by the use of dangerous weapons or means), 307 (attempt to murder) among others.

The injured Youth Congress workers were admitted to a private hospital in Taliparamba, they said.

The Youth Congress also alleged that a few of their workers were taken into preventive custody by the police earlier on Monday.

The FIR said the accused used helmets and flower pots to attack the Youth Congress workers.

After the incident, Vijayan, while addressing a gathering at Taliparamba here, had claimed that those who jumped in front of his cavalcade had received specific instructions and had an agenda. He said that the Congress would not be able to “belittle the success” of the event by waving a black flag.

Vijayan told the gathering to expect more “dubious” plans of provocation in the coming days and appealed to his party workers to maintain restraint.