25 SFI activists held in Rahul Gandhi office vandalism case in Kerala

As many as 19 SFI activists, including district office-bearers, were produced before a local court and remanded to judicial custody

A day after the attack by the ruling CPI(M)'s students wing Students' Federation of India (SFI) at the office of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Wayanad, the CPI(M) and SFI suffered further embarrassment over the rationale of the march and involvement of a minister's personal staff in the attack.

The state also witnessed demonstrations by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Saturday, with minor alterations with the police. Around 25 SFI activists, including district leaders, were held under non-bailable charges and 19 of them remanded to judicial custody in connection with the attack on MP's office.

The SFI staged the protest march to the office of Gandhi, who is Lok Sabha MP from the high-rage district, on Friday accusing him of not taking effective measures to address the concerns of the people over the Supreme Court order to declare one kilometre around forests as buffer zones.

Also Read | Attack at Rahul Gandhi's office at Wayanad triggers widespread protests in Kerala

However, on Saturday an acknowledgement letter sent on Thursday by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to a representation given by Gandhi in this regard came out. This further triggered mystery over the rationale of staging protest march to the MP's office over the issue by the students' outfit. Gandhi had also sent representation to the Prime Minister on the issue earlier.

SFI state leaders had also flayed the march taken out by the district leadership and stated that they were also unaware of the march. CPI(M) leaders including the chief minister had also flayed the attack on the MP's office.

In further embarrassment to the CPI(M), an SFI leader who was serving as a member of the Health Minister's personal staff, was also among the accused in the MP office attack case.

Health Minister Veena George said that the official was relieved from charge on June 15 as he conveyed personal inconvenience. But the order relieving him with effect from June 15 was issued on Saturday, which the minister justified as procedural delay.

Congress leaders reiterated the allegation that the attack on the MP's office was plotted by the Chief Minister's office as the Chief Minister wanted to please the BJP government at the centre in view of the ongoing gold smuggling probe by central agencies.

Over 1,000 UDF workers participated in a protest march by UDF at Kalpetta in Wayanad. A heavy police deployment was made to avert attack towards CPI(M) offices. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, Opposition leader V D Satheesan, Kerala PCC president K Sudhakaran and other top leaders addresses the party workers. A protest march at Kottayam district had turned violent.

The state had witnessed widespread protest by Congress workers on Friday in protest against the attack on the MP's office.