Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s office in Wayanad, the constituency he represents in Parliament, was vandalised allegedly by activists of the CPM’s students wing on Friday.
The attack took place when SFI activists marched to Gandhi’s office in Kerala demanding his intervention in favour of farmers over a Supreme Court directive that protected forest tracts and wildlife sanctuaries must have an eco-sensitive zone of one kilometre from their boundaries.
#WATCH | Kerala: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s office in Wayanad vandalised.
Indian Youth Congress, in a tweet, alleges that “the goons held the flags of SFI” as they climbed the wall of Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad office and vandalised it. pic.twitter.com/GoCBdeHAwy
A group of SFI activists allegedly stormed into the MP’s office near Kalpetta, headquarters of Wayanad district, assaulted the office staff and damaged furniture. In protest against the attack, Congress workers blocked the national highway.
Condemning the vandalism, Opposition leader VD Satheesan said it showed the lawlessness in the state. The ruling CPM has turned into an organised mafia, he alleged.
Visuals of the trashing of @RahulGandhi’s Wayanad office by activists of @CPIMKerala student wing, SFI. Would @pinarayivijayan & @SitaramYechury take disciplinary action or let their silence condone such behaviour? Is this their idea of politics? pic.twitter.com/uu5DSIB3mW
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the attack on Gandhi’s office. “There is freedom for democratic ways of protests. However, protests turning into violence is a wrong trend. Stringent action will be taken against those involved in the attack,” he said in a statement.
Both the ruling Left Democratic Front and the Opposition have opposed the Supreme Court directive that protected forest areas and sanctuaries must have a buffer zone of one kilometre from their boundaries.
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