Thiruvananthapuram: More than a dozen more people were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the attack on Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Sunday in which stones were pelted at the CM’s car, which broke the windows and injured the CM on the forehead and nose.
Chandy, who was admitted to the Medical College Hospital here, was discharged on Tuesday, and advised two more days’ rest at home.
With the fresh round of arrests, the total number of those held by police is nearly 30. Among those taken into custody on Tuesday was a local secretary of the Communist Party of India Marxist from Dharmadam, N K Ravi. Two Left MLAs, C Krishnan and K.K. Narayanan are among those against whom police have registered cases.
The CPM leadership has stoutly denied allegations that the party was behind the attack on the chief minister. Senior CPM leader M.V. Jayarajan accused the police of taking into custody Left leaders who had not even participated in the protest on Sunday, and warned that his party would strongly retaliate if false cases were foisted on its cadres.
Chandy was attacked when he was proceeding to attend the closing ceremony of a police sports meet in Kannur on Sunday evening.
Police suspect that the key accused in the attack on Chandy is one P V Rajesh, who is believed to be working with a cooperative bank at Chuzhali. Police searched his home after studying video footage of the attack, but Rajesh is believed to be absconding.
On being discharged from hospital, Chandy remarked that if there had indeed been a security failure that led to the attack on him, he alone would take responsibility for it. However, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President Ramesh Chennithala said what the CM said was his own opinion, adding that if there was a security breach it should not be allowed to be repeated.
Within the Congress party, there has been criticism about the quality of security provided to the CM on his trip to Kannur. Some believe that Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan should take the blame for what happened in Kannur. The ‘I’ group within the Congress is of the opinion that there was a security breach in Kannur, indirectly blaming Radhakrishnan for the incident.
