In what is being described as an indication of law and order deterioration in Kerala under the CPI(M)-led rule, a Marxist mob on Wednesday tried to physically attack young Congress MLA VT Balram, whose unsavoury remarks against late communist icon AK Gopalan (AKG) has enraged the Left in the State, at Kanjirathani in his Thrithala constituency in Palakkad district. The Marxists also hurled rotten eggs at the Congress legislator.
About 30 persons, including a police officer, suffered injuries in the clashes between the CPI(M) activists and Congress workers who countered them in order to protect Balram and in the lathicharge by the police. The MLA himself suffered minor injuries and several vehicles, including his official car were damaged.
The Congress-led Opposition UDF will observe a dawn-to-dusk shutdown within the Assembly constituency limits on Thursday to protest ‘police excesses and Marxist intolerance’ even as UDF leaders including ex-Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala condemned the attack by terming it as an act of fascism.
Trouble started at around 10.30 am on Wednesday when hundreds of CPI(M) workers thronged the Kanjirathani Junction in Thrithala to physically block Balram from attending the inauguration of a private clinical laboratory. This was the first appearance of the MLA in public since the start of the row over his Facebook remarks against AKG and wife Suseela Gopalan.
As the Marxists started pelting stones at the MLA, hundreds of Congress workers from various parts of the constituency rushed to the spot to protect their leader. The police force present at that time was insufficient to disperse the crowds. Clashes ensued and amidst the melee, the Congress workers managed to lead the MLA to the venue of the function and he attended it.
The jubilation of the Congress workers over this success enraged the Marxists further. Lathicharge began after more police personnel reached the place from nearby police stations. The Congress alleged the police had connived with the Marxists by not deploying enough personnel.
While local CPI(M) leaders in Thrithala said Balram would not be allowed to attend any public function till he apologized for his derogatory remarks against AKG, the Youth Congress warned that Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would be blocked on the road if attacks against Balram continued. The Marxists had attacked his office in Thrithala last weekend.
Refusing to be cowed down by the Marxists’ attack bid, Balram said, “I don’t intend to apologize over my remarks on AKG… I will go ahead with my scheduled public programmes. I am not prepared to be subdued by the Gopala Sena (in reference to AK Gopalan). Today’s incident has proved the people of Thrithala are not ready to surrender to fascism.”
“The incident in Thrithala is the latest example of collapse of law and order under the CPI(M)-led LDF’s rule,” said former chief minister Chandy. “Law and order affairs are looked after by the Chief Minister and he is responsible for what happened today. It was nothing but an act of fascism and Marxist intolerance,” he said.
The row started last Friday with Balram writing in his Facebook page that communist icon AK Gopalan, who was also a freedom fighter and the first Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, had married 22-year-old Suseela when he was middle-aged after a decade-long love affair which meant that Suseela was aged ten or 11 when the affair had started.
What enraged the communists and a section of Left-leaning cultural leaders of Kerala was a particular term he used to describe AKG’s affection for a minor girl. He further said that AKG could be an icon for many people but his admirers should not insist that nobody should go into the details of his personal life available in the public domain.
The entire Marxist leadership, including Chief Minister Pinarayi, former chief minister VS Achuthanandan and State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had reacted harshly to Balram’s comments while the Congress party took a position that he should not have made such comments but it was up to him to decide whether to offer an apology.