Cong flays LDF govt for filing attempt to murder case against YC workers

Two Youth Congress workers, who raised slogans against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on board an aircraft bound to Thiruvananthapuram, have been booked for attempt to murder, a move which came in for sharp criticism from the main opposition party, which clarified that the duo was not sent for staging the in-flight protest.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly, V D Satheesan lashed out at the LDF government over the police action against his party activists for raising slogans against the CM inside an aircraft, but made it clear that the party would not disown them.

''A case for attempting to murder has been registered against the youth congress workers for simply raising slogans in protest. With this Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan is proving to be a bigger dictator than Hitler, Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath,'' he said at a press conference here.

A case was registered against three Youth Congress workers under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including 120 (B) (Conspiracy), 307 (Attempt to murder) and Section 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), police said.

Besides, the YC workers were also charged under Section 22 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, Section 11 A of Aircraft Act and Section 3(1) (a) of the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act. Two party workers were arrested on Monday night. Another person, who travelled with the YC workers in the aircraft, reportedly went absconding after the incident.

State police chief Anil Kant has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Prejish Thottathil, Supdt of Police, Crime Branch, Kannur for ''the speedy and detailed investigation'' of the case registered by Valiyathura police in Thiruvananthapuram.

Satheesan sought to know why a case was not registered against LDF convenor E P Jayarajan for allegedly pushing the Youth Congress workers inside the aircraft.

He also denied the allegation raised by Jayarajan that the Congress workers were drunk.

''They were raising protest in the flight. However, none of the Congress leaders were informed about it. We have not sent anyone to protest but we are not disowning them,'' the Congress leader told the media here.

The FIR launched by the police in Thiruvananthapuram states that due to political enmity, the three accused namely Farzeen Majid, Naveen Kumar and Suneeth Kumar conspired to kill Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and boarded the flight from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram.

Meanwhile, sources said one of the accused, Majeed, a teacher by profession, has been suspended from the school, where he has been working pending investigation.

The school took the action after it started receiving a number of applications for the Transfer Certificate from the parents of the students.

A video, which was widely circulated shows two persons, one wearing a black t-shirt, approaching the seat where the Chief Minister was sitting, raising slogans. The video also shows one person pushing the duo.

Congress has alleged that it was Jayarajan, who actually resorted to violence and therefore, action should be taken against him.

The party also said the two Youth Congress workers would be provided all support and protection by the party.

Chief Minister Vijayan has been facing protests by the Congress and BJP workers ever since Suresh alleged that he and his family members had a role in some smuggling activities.