Vijayan in row over harsh behaviour

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stirred controversy by lashing out at a woman who approached him at a public function in Kerala's Kannur on Saturday.

After the video of the incident went viral, the Kannur district collector on Sunday issued a statement saying that the woman was mentally ill and had earlier behaved in a similar manner with some other leaders too

At the function, organised to honour flood relief volunteers at the collectorate hall in Kannur, a woman went up the dais and complained to Vijayan that the government hasn't done anything. Holding Vijayan's hand, she repeated the same.

He then asked the woman to her seat— she was unmoved and repeated the same.

At this, Vijayan— who is known for his harsh behaviour — lost his temper and shouted at the woman to move away and pulled his hands from hers. By then some one from audience took the woman away from the dais.