'Will not tolerate criminals in police': Congress to Kerala CM on 'attack' on party workers

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leaders on Saturday warned Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that they will not tolerate "criminals" in police and his party over the alleged attack by his security staff on Youth Congress supporters who waved black flags at his luxury bus during the state government's outreach programme.

State Congress president K.Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan slammed the chief minister, alleging that security staff of Vijayan attacked workers of Youth Congress in Alappuzha who were demonstrating peacefully.

"We warn Vijayan that we will not tolerate criminals in the police and his party attacking our workers, and now we have lost our patience, we will have no qualms to hit back and we will do it too," said Sudhakaran.

"We warn these criminal police officials who engage in ruthless brutal assault on our workers that Vijayan will not be the chief minister all the time," said Satheesan.

"Now Vijayan all the time speaks about the mental health and singles me out all the time and says that I have a problem. If I have a problem, I will get treated at my expenses, but all what I have to say is, I will request the cabinet Ministers who are with Vijayan on the statewide tour (since November 27) that there is every chance that Vijayan has missed taking some particular tablet and hence he is behaving like this, so it would be better to give him 'that' medicine," said Satheesan.

On the other hand, Vijayan, talking to media persons on the "attack" on Congress workers, said he had not seen such a thing, and moreover, the security staff's job is to ensure the safety.

State Culture and Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian took pot shots at the Congress, saying if anyone has to become a leader, one has to get beaten by the police during a protest.

"I have been beaten up numerous times, when we took part in protests, so these are all natural things," said Cherian.