The Kerala Police on Tuesday booked three Youth Congress activists, who protested against chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on board a Kannur-Thiruvananthapuram flight on Monday, for the attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, obstructing officials, illegal assembly, jeopardizing aircraft and passenger security.
Two of the three, Farzeen Majeed and Naveen Kumar, who are from Kannur, have been arrested. Police identified the third activist as Sunith Kumar.
The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) called the protest a “terror act” even as Congress defended the three saying theirs was a symbolic protest against an oppressive regime.
At least 30 Congress offices, including the party’s state headquarters, were attacked in the aftermath of the protest. In Payyanur, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi erected to commemorate his 1936 visit to the town was also vandalised. The CPI (M) earlier asked the ruling party’s workers to protest.
CPI (M) leader E P Jayarajan, who was travelling with Vijayan, accused the activists of planning to attack the chief minister. “They came menacingly towards him. But prompt action saved the situation,” he said.
Congress leader V D Satheesan accused Jayarajan and Vijayan’s guards of assaulting two of the arrested activists. “Both suffered serious injuries. Jayarajan lied both were drunk. Who gave him the power to attack them? We will file a complaint against him.”
Police said the three were seated in the front row. After the plane landed in Thiruvananthapuram, two of them started raising slogans against Vijayan and tried to go near him as he was seated. The activists were overpowered and taken out of the aircraft after all passengers alighted.
According to aviation rules, if passengers on board an aircraft indulge in an assault, intimidation, or verbally or physically assault someone, they are liable to imprisonment of one-year and ₹5 lakh fine. An offender may also be banned from flying for six months.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation and the Intelligence Bureau have sought reports from Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram airport authorities over the security lapse.
Protests separately continued in the state on Tuesday in connection with 2020 gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh’s statement on June 6 that Vijayan and his family were aware of everything that was happening at the UAE consulate. CPI (M) rejected her allegations saying she is a pawn in the hands of a Sangh Parivar-backed NGO.
The case came to light in July 2020 after 30 kg of the gold in a package camouflaged as a diplomatic consignment addressed to the UAE consulate was recovered.
Two activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India, CPI’s (M) youth wing, barged into the residence of Satheesan on Tuesday raising slogans against him. The two were later arrested.
Congress observed a black day on Tuesday to protest against the attack on its headquarters. Black flags were shown to Vijayan on Tuesday on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram.
