Cong slams Vijayan over 'harassment' of Sabarimala pilgrims during cabinet's statewide tour

Kochi, Nov 27

Leader of Opposition in Kerala, V.D. Satheesan, on Monday took potshots at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, asking all, especially Sabarimala pilgrims, wearing black dress and walking on the streets to be careful as Vijayan's 'allergy towards black colour is known'.

“Vijayan is now behaving as King Pinarayi now and his antipathy towards black colour is well known and just the other day in Kozhikode, Sabarimala pilgrims who were out on the streets wearing the customary black dress were rounded up by the police as Vijayan and his tour party were in the district. So my request to all Sabarimala pilgrims is, be careful when you wear black dress and step on the streets,” said Satheesan.

Vijayan and the entire cabinet is on a statewide trip that began from Manjeswaram on November 18 to cover the 140 assembly constituencies, and arrive in the state capital on December 23.

“Since the trip began we have been seeing on how the police and the security staff of Vijayan are behaving as we saw how people who were protesting in a democratic manner were beaten using the wireless sets by his security staff and then using helmets by his party workers. The vehicles of his security staff are filled with materials to be used to chase away the protesters,” said Satheesan.

He also drew a similarity with the incident of George Floyd who was strangulated to death by a US police official a few years back.

"A similar thing happened to one of our party workers, a few days back when a senior police officer was seen strangulating him. Just what Floyd said to that US police official 'please leave me, I am suffocating', the exact words was used by our party worker too. All what we have to tell to the police officials here is, time will catch up with all,” added Satheesan.