Attack on YC activists: Police record arrest of 4 DYFI workers

Kannur: Police have recorded the arrest of four DYFI workers in connection with an attack on Youth Congress (YC) activists during their protest at the Nava Kerala Sadas event in Pazhayangadi here.
 
The four arrested are Rameez, Amal, Anuvindh and Jithin. The accused were produced before the court and remanded. 

30 persons including various DYFI and CPM workers had been booked over the attack. They were booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by the use of dangerous weapons or means), 307 (attempt to murder) among others. 

The attack happened after YC activists waved black flags at the CM and other ministers. According to FIR, the accused brutally attacked the YC workers using helmets, flower pots, and iron rods. 

CM Vijayan other day claimed that DYFI and CPM workers had actually saved the lives of the YC activists, who allegedly tried to jump in front of his cavalcade.

"It happened right in front of my eyes. The DYFI workers were trying to prevent them from jumping in front of the oncoming vehicle.
"They were saving the lives of the Youth Congress activists for which some force had to be necessarily used. It was not an assault. It was an admirable act on the part of the DYFI workers and my request to them is to continue the same," he had said.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Kerala assembly V D Satheesan flayed  Vijayan's remarks and called him a "criminal".

As Vijayan's cabinet colleagues justified his remark that DYFI workers were saving the lives of the YC activists and did not assault them, Satheesan alleged that it shows the CM's "cruel" mindset.

Condemning the CM's remarks, Satheesan said a day ago he had accused Vijayan of having a criminal mindset, "but today I am saying he is a criminal."

"A person who is calling for continuing such murder attempts is not eligible to sit in the CM's office. He should step down or publicly apologise for his statements," the LoP contended.

The LoP further alleged that Vijayan's remarks admiring the DYFI workers' actions and asking them to continue the same in the future amount to "instigating a riot".

Satheesan said that while the CM termed the alleged assault as a life-saving operation, the police have invoked murder attempt charges against those who brutally beat up the YC activists.

With PTI inputs