Kerala CM accuses Congress of goading supporters to unleash violence on streets to ‘sabotage’ Navakerala Sadas

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan accuses Congress of goading supporters to commit violence against Navakerala Sadas. He invites them to join societal mainstream for State's development.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the Congress leadership of goading supporters to commit desperate acts of violence to vent their annoyance at the “startlingly large turnout of people” at the Cabinet’s Statewide public outreach programme Navakerala Sadas.

Mr. Vijayan told journalists in Thiruvananthapuram on December 22 (Friday) that Kerala Students Union (KSU) workers had used chilli powder and steel pellets to confront the police in the capital on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Mr. Vijayan said Youth Congress workers had turned the capital into a conflict zone. He said Youth Congress activists had gone on the rampage, destroying Navakerala Sadas banners and billboards.

Mr. Vijayan said the Congress leadership planned street violence to coincide with the culmination of the Navakerala Sadas in the capital on December 23 (Saturday).

He claimed that a majority of Congress workers had turned their back on Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan’s call to boycott the Navakerala Sadas.

“They realised that the Cabinet’s public outreach programme is for the people and the State. Opposition supporters discovered that the Navakerala Sadas is neither pro-Left Democratic Front (LDF) government nor anti-United Democratic Front (UDF),” Mr. Vijayan said.

He invited the Congress leadership to shed its antagonism towards Navakerala Sadas and sink political differences to champion the State’s cause.