3 Cong men axed for vendor threat

As the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi resumed in Kollam on Friday, a group of Congress activists threatening a local vegetable vendor over donation in the name of the footmarch has brought embarrassment to the party, following which three workers were suspended with immediate effect.

The action came in the wake of a video in which the activists are seen purportedly threatening the vendor and creating a ruckus at the shop went viral on social media platforms.

KPCC chief K Sudhakaran said the three party workers, involved in an "unacceptable incident", have been suspended with immediate effect.

"They do not represent our ideology and such behaviour is inexcusable. The party is crowdfunding small donations voluntarily unlike others who get corporate donations," he tweeted.

Sharing the tweet, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said the KPCC has been doing crowdfunding for years.

"Their politics runs on small donations at the grassroots. But this should not have happened. These three were clearly fringe elements and exemplary action has been taken immediately by the PCC President," he said in a tweet.

Dheeraj murder case accused in yatra

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), on Friday lashed out at the Congress for allegedly allowing Nikhil Paily, the prime accused in the Dheeraj Rajendran murder case, to be a part of its yatra.

DYFI state secretary VK

Sanoj said the Congress allowed Paily to be a part of the foot march to insult the family of 21-year old Rajendran, who was stabbed to death on January 10 at the Idukki Engineering College allegedly by KSU activists including Paily.