19 SFI activists held in Rahul Gandhi office vandalism case in Kerala

19 activists of SFI, the students wing of the ruling CPI(M), have been arrested and remanded so far in connection with the attack on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's office here

Rahul Gandhi, ED
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi
Press Trust of India Wayanad (Kerala)
3 min read Last Updated : Jun 25 2022 | 2:27 PM IST

Nineteen activists of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the students wing of the ruling CPI(M), have been arrested and remanded so far in connection with the attack on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's office here and more arrests are expected on Saturday, police said.

All the arrested persons were identified as local SFI activists and they were remanded for two weeks by a local court. "The arrest of 19 people have been recorded so far. Some more persons were taken into custody and more arrests are expected to take place today. At present, the case is investigated by the Mananthavady Deputy Superintendent of Police and it will be handed over to the ADGP-led special investigation team soon," he told PTI. Hours after SFI activists vandalised the Wayanad office of Gandhi, the Left government on Friday night ordered a high-level probe by an ADGP-rank officer and suspended Kalpetta Deputy Superintendent of Police pending enquiry. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress continued to charge that the vandalisation of Gandhi's office and the act of violence was done with the knowledge of the ruling Marxist party and its top leadership Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan visited the vandalised office this morning and reiterated that it was done with the knowledge of Vijayan. He also alleged that a former personal staff of Health Minister Veena George was among those involved in the attack on Gandhi's office here. "Congress and UDF will continue our protest. Goondaism thrives in Kerala with Pinarayi Government's active support," he tweeted earlier. A protest march of the SFI against Rahul Gandhi's office here on Friday turned violent as a group of activists entered the Lok Sabha member's office and vandalised it, prompting the Chief Minister to strongly condemn the incident and warn of stern action against the culprits. The incident occurred when the SFI activists held a march to Gandhi's Office alleging his inaction in the issue of buffer zones around forests. While the main opposition party claimed that the attack happened with the knowledge of the Vijayan, the chief minister, in a strongly worded message, said this land ensures space for freedom of expression and democratic protest but it was a wrong practice if it turns into violence. 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.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :Rahul GandhiKeralaCPI M

First Published: Jun 25 2022 | 2:27 PM IST

Next Story