Wayanad: “Ghastly & pre-planned” Congress says after attack on Rahul Gandhi’s office, UDF launches protest

A day after former Congress president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi’s office was attacked by the Student Federation of India (SFI) activists, Congress workers and leaders including United Democratic Front (UDF) allies hit the streets in Wayanad against the attack.

Leader of Opposition, Kerala Assembly and Congress leader VD Satheesan reached Wayanad on Saturday morning.

He attacked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying “Goondaism thrives in Kerala” under the patronage of the Left front government.

Satheesan had shared the video clip on Friday in which SFI “goons” can be seen vandalising Rahul Gandhi’s office in Wayanad.

“Ghastly attack by SFI goons at Rahul Gandhi’s MP Office at Wayanad. It is lawlessness and goondaism. CPM has turned into an organised mafia. Strongly Condemning the attack,” Satheesan wrote on twitter.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has also condemned the attack. Sharing the visual of the attack, he questioned the silence of CPM’s top leadership.

“Is this their idea of politics?” asked Tharoor.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal accused the CPM led government of having a deal with the BJP in Kerala.

“Kerala CPI (M) has become so vile in pleasing the vicious BJP that where the BJP is misusing the ED against him, CPI (M) in Kerala unleashes violence on his office. Their nasty deal has been revealed,” said Venugopal.

In an apparent bid to downplay the entire incident, CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury quickly condemned the attack. He said the police will take action.

The Indian Overseas Congress department headed by Sam Pitroda too issued a statement condemning the attack.

"Indian Overseas Congress is astonished and is in utmost despair to learn about the news of attack on Rahul Gandhi's MP office is Wayanad," it said.

As per the media reports, 8 attackers have been taken into custody.

“Whatever happened in Wayanad is something which we have said is completely unacceptable. Chief Minister of the state and state Government also condemned it and State Police has already begun taking action against those involved,” Yechury said a day after the attack.

“There were around 80-100 activists. As of now, eight are under custody. More police have been deployed,” officials told PTI.

The CPIM also has disowned and condemned the attack.

According to the Kerala Congress, the SFI activists were unhappy with the Congress and protested alleging Rahul Gandhi had failed to intervene in the issue of creating buffer zones around forests in hilly areas.

The Friday attack is being seen as retaliatory action for the in-flight protest against the CM 10 days ago, when two Youth Congress workers boarded a plane in which Vijayan was travelling and showed him black flags.