Vijayan’s swipe at Congress triggers chaos in assembly

trivandrum — Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday that Congress MLAs were supporting “terror” groups, angering the opposition and leading to chaos in the Assembly.

There was pandemonium as opposition members shouted slogans against Vijayan and the Home Department for failing to protect a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) who was brutally beaten up by the police late on Tuesday soon after landing in Kochi for Ramadan holidays.

Speaking in the House, which has of late regularly experienced ruckus, Vijayan said “knowingly or unknowingly” certain Congress legislators were supporting “terror”

knowingly or unknowingly certain Congress legislators were supporting ‘terror’ groups

Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala CM

groups.

The curt remark did not go down well with opposition MLAs. Congress member Anwar Sadath went hammer and tongs against the manner in which NRI Usman was beaten up by four policemen, leaving him with a fractured cheekbone. Vijayan said it had come to light that it was Usman who first hit the policemen.

An angry opposition then trooped to the Speaker’s podium shouting slogans against Vijayan.

Vijayan hit back, saying a section of the people think they are above the law of the land. “I know Alwaye (where the incident took place) very well. None should forget that this was the place where a bus burning terror incident took place sometime back. Among the people who created a ruckus after Usman’s arrest were those with ‘terror’ links. —