Minister Sivankutty's visit to Kozhikode marred by black flag protests
KOZHIKODE: Tension flared up in Kozhikode on Saturday during the visit of General Education Minister V Sivankutty as the Yuva Morcha - BJP workers protested over the Bharat Mata row. Yuva Morcha workers who staged a black flag protest against the minister were stopped by SFI workers which resulted in a clash.
On Saturday, when the minister arrived at Jubilee Hall in Tali to attend a programme related to the SFI national conference, Yuva Morcha workers waved black flags at the minister. The protesters were stopped by SFI workers leading to a clash between both outfits. Following this, the police intervened and took the workers into custody.
Soon after, when Fraternity workers also came to protest there in connection with the Plus-I seat crisis in the Malabar region, SFI workers stopped them too and a clash broke out again. Police intervened in this too and took members of both groups into custody.
Protesting the incident of SFI workers attacking Yuva Morcha workers, BJP members burnt the minister in effigy. BJP leaders alleged that police were helping SFI members to attack Yuva Morcha workers. 'Our workers were beaten up by CPM workers and the police. If the police do not arrest the criminals, we will retaliate,' said BJP Kozhikode district president K P Prakash Babu.
Meanwhile, Sivankutty said, 'Scouts and Guides is a secular, non-political association. Secularism is important in the approach to students.' Recently he had walked out of Raj Bhavan during an official function in protest against the display of an image of Bharat Mata.
'When I reached Raj Bhavan, I was welcomed by a portrait of a woman holding a saffron flag. I left because I am loyal to the Constitution', said Sivankutty. He also claimed the ABVP's black flag protest was staged on orders from RSS-ruling Raj Bhavan.
Earlier in the day, when the minister was leaving Kozhikode Guest House to attend the SFI programme, a black flag protest was held under the leadership of the KSU district committee, led by district president V T Suraj, over the Plus-I seat issue. KSU workers jumped in front of the minister's vehicle, but police arrested them and shifted them. SFI national president and CPM state committee member V P Sanu said, 'The minister was attending a private event, not an official function. Yuva Morcha doesn't know what democracy is.'
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