The increasing number of protests against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the last few days turned nasty as reports came about of CPM-Congress clashes across the state. Offices and houses of leaders, and their relatives, from both parties were said to have been attacked. Leaders from both CPM and Congress were also reported to have made open calls to party workers to retaliate.
On Tuesday, workers of the ruling CPM's youth outfit DYFI barged into the official residence premises of Opposition leader V D Satheesan here. In Kannur, the house of Congress state president K Sudhakaran’s relative was attacked by suspected CPM-DYFI workers on Monday night.
CPM-Congress clashes broke out after reports came about of Youth Congress workers shouting slogans against the Chief Minister inside a flight on Monday. Since Monday, the state witnessed a series of clashes between CPM and Congress workers and ransacking of many Congress offices by CPM workers. The situation was made worse when leaders of both parties made calls of settling scores.
Read | Youth Congress workers protest against Kerala CM inside flight, detained
CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan called the party workers and the people to protect the chief minister, while Congress state president Sudhakaran and Lok Sabha MP K Muraleedharan openly stated that the Congress workers would retaliate if the CPM continued to attack party workers and offices.
Separately, a case of attempted murder was registered against three Youth Congress workers, while another Youth Congress worker, a schoolteacher, was suspended from service.
Congress camps retaliated by lodging a petition against CPM senior leader and Left Democratic Front convenor E P Jayarajan for manhandling the Youth Congress workers inside the aircraft. The Congress demanded that a murder attempt case should be registered against Jayarajan, too.
Meanwhile, resentment is brewing among the people over heavy restrictions being imposed for the Chief Minister's travel. Vehicles were being diverted and traffic blocked even during peak hours to aid the Chief Minister's movement and avert protests against him. Despite increased security, the Congress and the BJP, showed up with black flags against the Chief Minister in several parts of the state capital on Tuesday, too.