The Congress has suspended two of its local leaders and asked a former district committee president to apologise in public for the assault on mediapersons during an alleged meeting of one of the party factions in Kozhikode last Saturday. Another district general secretary will be warned in public.
Mathrubhumi photographer Sajan V. Nambiar was beaten up and Kairali People reporter Megha Madhavan and Asianet News Principal Correspondent C.R. Rajesh were assaulted when they arrived at a hotel where the meeting was held. The party later appointed C.V. Kunhikrishnan and John Poothakkuzhi, former executive committee members of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, to inquire into the incident and submit a report.
K. Praveen Kumar, District Congress Committee (DCC) president, said in a release on Thursday evening that C.G. Prasanth Kumar, Mankavu block committee former president, and Rajeevan Thiruvachira, president of the Arakkinar mandalam committee, would face action. U. Rajeevan, former DCC president, would have to tender an apology through the media. Suresh Keechambra, DCC general secretary and Feroke block Congress committee president, would get a public warning.
Mr. Praveen Kumar said that from visuals of the incident, Mr. Prasanth Kumar and Mr. Rajeevan were found to have led the assault. The mediapersons identified them before the inquiry panel too. It was found that Mr. Rajeevan failed to control the party leaders. There were lapses on the part of Mr. Suresh as well, Mr. Praveen Kumar said. The DCC president pointed out that what had happened against the mediapersons were not in line with “Congress culture”. The inquiry panel spoke to mediapersons, Calicut Press Club functionaries and the Congress activists present at the hotel, he added.
