Not aware of assault by security staff on opposition party workers: Kerala CM Vijayan

Pinarayi Vijayan's government has been under attack from the opposition ever since a video of his gunman stepping out of a vehicle in the CM's cavalcade and assaulting protestors went viral.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed on Monday to be unaware of any instances in which his security personnel had engaged in attacks on opposition members participating in democratic protests.

Vijayan's government has been under attack from the opposition ever since a video of his gunman stepping out of a vehicle in the CM's cavalcade and assaulting protestors went viral. The Congress has accused the security personnel and CPI(M) workers accompanying the cavalcade during last month's Nava Kerala Sadas yatra of having beaten up protestors.

Vijayan feigned ignorance of such an incident in his written reply to a query by opposition MLAs in the state assembly on whether it had come to his notice that opposition party members were attacked by his security officials during their protest.

In the carefully worded response, the CM wrote, "It came to our notice that certain youth wing organisations had obstructed the vehicles of the ministers and engaged in violence. The police did not take any action against protests organised in a democratic manner."

The incident reportedly occurred during a protest by the opposition Congress-led UDF against the Nava Kerala Sadas, which they characterised as the Left party's political campaign. The UDF accused the government of misusing state apparatus to organise the 36-day yatra.

Responding to another query in the assembly regarding the reported assault by workers of the ruling CPI(M) on a differently-abled Congress leader, Vijayan stated that a case had been registered, and the accused was arrested and subsequently presented before the court.