Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad office attacked during protest march, 8 SFI activists in police custody

WAYANAD (KERALA): A protest march of the SFI, the students wing of ruling CPI(M), against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s office here on Friday turned violent as a group of protestors allegedly entered the Lok Sabha member’s office and vandalised it.

Police said the protest march contained around 100 Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists and they barged into the office.

“There were around 80-100 activists. As of now, eight of them are under custody. More police have been deployed,” police told PTI.

The student organisation protested alleging that Gandhi failed to intervene in the issue of creating buffer zones around forests in the hilly areas of Kerala.

Television channels aired visuals of a group of protestors creating ruckus inside the MP’s office.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan sharply reacted to the incident and said the attack showed lawlessness and “goondaism”.

“Ghastly attack by SFI goons at Rahul Gandhi’s MP Office at Wayanad. It is lawlessness and goondaism. CPM has turned into an organised mafia. Strongly Condemning the attack,” the Congress leader tweeted.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the attack against Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi’s office, and assured stringent action against the culprits.

Strongly condemning the attack allegedly carried out by SFI activists, Vijayan said everyone has the right to protest in a democratic manner but such demonstrations taking a violent turn was a wrong tendency.

“Strongly condemn the attack against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s office at Wayanad. Everyone has the freedom of speech and right to protest in a democratic manner. But it’s a wrong tendency that such protests turn violent. The government will taken stern action against the culprits,” Vijayan said.

LEADER OF OPPOSITION VD SATHEESAN SHARPLY REACTED TO THE INCIDENT AND SAID THE ATTACK SHOWED LAWLESSNESS AND ‘GOONDAISM’