A group of Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) party workers stopped car and vandalised it on Sunday on the eve of dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the party in Kerala. The incident happened at 5.30 on Sunday, October 15, near Pallimukku in Kollam district when a person named Syamjith Syamalan was taking his wife, a 9-month pregnant, to a hospital. The incident was captured on the camera mounted on the dashboard of the car.
Two videos, uploaded on Facebook by the woman’s husband Syamjith Syamalan, show the group of protesters angry at the couple for trying to pass through their procession. Mr Syamalan says the group blocked their car, hit the bonnet and the sides after arguing with the couple. The woman, Deepa Syam, took to Facebook, saying, “Despite pleading repeatedly that we were proceeding to a hospital, these drunk processionists were least bothered and kept thrashing and kicking our car. With such situations it will be difficult for India to make any progress in any front, where women have least safety and security.”
In his post, he writes that he was on his way to the hospital with his nine-month pregnant wife when his car was blocked by Congress party workers for travelling on the eve of the hartal. Despite Syamalan repeatedly telling the protestors that it’s an emergency, he says his car was attacked and vandalised by the party workers. After realising that they were heading to the hospital, the protesters let them go and even warned them to turn on the headlight in such emergency situations. The women in the car got into a verbal fight with the party workers. Meanwhile, Syamjith has also filed a complaint at the nearby police station against the protesters.
The incident took place during a pro-UDF procession of the eve of the protest called by the UDF in Kerala against the rising prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.
