Kannur: Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, on Wednesday cast serious doubts over the alleged attack on Health Minister Veena George at Kannur railway station by the Kerala Students Union (KSU), saying a preliminary enquiry by the Congress found no evidence of any physical assault.
“Our preliminary probe reveals that no protester even reached anywhere near the Minister. There were 35 police officials and just four KSU workers when she arrived at the Kannur railway platform. There would have been a protest, but no attack took place,” Satheesan said.
He added that the party would conduct a more detailed enquiry and asserted that strict action would follow if any Congress worker was found guilty.
“Do you have any picture of any attack? Now it’s election time, so such things can happen,” he remarked.
The Congress stance comes amid sharp allegations from the CPI(M), which has termed the incident a “planned assault.”
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rushed to the Kannur District Hospital, where George was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with injuries to her neck and hand and a team of doctors is monitoring her condition.
CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan alleged that the attack was organised with the knowledge of the Congress leadership, while district leaders described it as unprecedented that a woman Minister had come under attack in the state.
Party workers staged protests across Kannur condemning the incident. The KSU, however, has denied the charges.
State president Aloshious Xavier maintained that activists only raised slogans and did not manhandle the Minister, challenging authorities to release visuals if an assault had occurred.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunny Joseph, who hails from Kannur, echoed the stance, stating that visuals available so far do not indicate that the Minister was attacked.
Social media handles linked to Congress feeder organisations went a step further, sarcastically suggesting that George “deserves an award for acting.”
With both sides hardening their positions and visuals yet to offer conclusive clarity, the focus has shifted to the role of the police presence at the station and whether the episode reflects a deeper political flashpoint in poll bound Kerala.
(IANS)
