Thiruvananthapuram: The destruction of Mahatma Gandhi's picture, which was hanging on the wall of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad office, occurred after the SFI activists who allegedly vandalised his office were removed from the site, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the state assembly on Monday.
The Congress has alleged that the picture was destroyed during the vandalism of the Wayanad MP's office allegedly by SFI activists.
On Monday, LDF MLA V Joy pointed out in a submission in the assembly that according to news reports, the picture was hanging on the wall after the SFI activists were taken away by the police and it was found on the ground only after Congress workers were removed from the office. Responding to the submission, Vijayan said that according to the police, those who trespassed into the MP's office on June 24 were removed from there by 3.54 pm that day and when its department photographers captured photos of the site, the Mahatma Gandhi picture was on the wall.
Even Malayalam news channels showed the same in visuals aired by them, he added. Subsequently, Congress and its youth wing workers were present there and they too were removed from the office, the CM said. Thereafter, when the police took a second round of photographs of the office, it was noticed that the picture of Mahatma Gandhi was lying on the ground in a damaged condition.
Vijayan said that a complaint regarding damage to Mahatma Gandhi's picture has been received and the police were investigating the same. He also said a crime has been registered in connection with the illegal trespass into Rahul Gandhi's office and the damage caused there. The issue is expected to be raised during the discussions to be held in the House in the afternoon on the adjournment motion moved by the UDF opposition alleging lack of police action regarding attacks on the CPI(M) state headquarters AKG Centre as well as various Congress offices in Kerala.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Kerala state committee of the Students Federation of India (SFI) decided to dissolve its Wayanad district committee in connection with the vandalism of the Congress MP's office there allegedly by some of its activists. The SFI activists had held a protest march to Gandhi's office and had allegedly vandalised his office claiming inaction on his behalf in connection with the issue of buffer zones around forests.
A recent Supreme Court order mandates the maintenance of an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of one kilometre around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, which has led to widespread protest in various parts of Kerala. The high-range areas of Kerala, particularly in Idukki, Wayanad, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts, had been witnessing hartals by various political and farmers' groups against the apex court order delivered on June 3. (PTI)
