THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Not just the mercury, but political tensions too were on the rise in the state capital on Wednesday as the the Congress and BJP traded allegations following the recent waving of black flags at Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Keralam.The Congress alleged that its party offices were attacked and several local leaders threatened by “BJP criminals” in this district, while the saffron party hit back with a counter-allegation that its Thiruvananthapuram South district president Mookkampalamoodu Biju was brutally attacked by workers of the grand old party.BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar called the attack on Biju a “brazen display” of the grand old party’s “descent into political thuggery.”The situation escalated further towards the evening as several Yuva Morcha activists, including its Thiruvananthapuram North District President Suryakrishnan, waved black flags at the convoy of Chief Minister V D Satheesan, nearly getting hit by the vehicles as they sped past them.The evening also saw BJP National Executive Committee member P K Krishnadas’ vehicle being allegedly attacked and vandalised by Congress workers in Neyyattinkara where he had gone to inaugurate a protest.Subsequently, the BJP announced a state-wide agitation on Thursday in protest against the attack on Krishnadas’ vehicle.Late last night, the Anavoor mandalam committee office of the Congress was set on fire and then in the small hours of Wednesday, stones were pelted at the party’s Thiruvananthapuram District Committee (DCC) office.A man accused of setting fire to the Anavoor mandalam committee office was later arrested by the police, while those behind the stone pelting are yet to be caught.Satheesan condemned the attacks, terming them as “heinous” and saying that such methods are not in line with Keralam’s political culture.While not blaming anyone for the incidents, he said that the state will strongly resist the politics of violence.The CM also visited the DCC office to see the extent of the damage caused by the stone pelting.Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph, who also visited the DCC office, told reporters that the attacks on the party’s offices were a continuation of the Yuva Morcha’s black flag protests against the CM and other ministers.Joseph, also the State Electricity Minister, said that after the Yuva Morcha activists blocked state Sports Minister O J Janeesh’s vehicle a day ago and waved black flags at him, it led to an argument between them and Congress workers.“Subsequently, BJP criminals allegedly threatened the District Committee secretary at his house. They also threatened local Congress leaders at other places in the Neyyatinkara area,” he claimed.He also alleged that the attacks took place with the active knowledge, support and encouragement of the BJP leadership in the state.Demanding strict police action against the perpetrators, Joseph contended that “BJP’s politics of violence will not be allowed in the state. Congress workers and the people will raise strong protest against the same.”A protest march was later held in the state capital by the Congress.During the march, some party activists damaged a flag-pole and notice board of an organisation connected with the BJP.Joseph also claimed that the attacks against the Congress were being carried out to divert attention from the nationwide protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar by the opposition parties.“This is politics of goondaism,” he alleged.Meanwhile, in an ‘X’ post, Chandrasekhar termed the attack on Biju as the “latest proof of the collapse of law and order in Keralam under this Congress/IUML administration.”The BJP MLA from Nemom said that if the Congress thinks it can use ‘goondas’ against the saffron party, “every karyakarta will take to the streets.”“The police must take immediate and strict action against those who attacked Biju. If this government and the police fail to act, there will be severe, uncompromising democratic consequences,” he warned.Later, at a press conference, he said that if the Congress was looking to create a conflict, then he can issue directions to his party workers to do that for the next five years.“If violence or conflict is what the Congress wants, we can do it for the next five years,” he warned.He also claimed that the BJP and Yuva Morcha protests were “provoked” by the “security breach” of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.Earlier in the day, State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who also visited the DCC office, condemned the attacks and assured strict action against the culprits.Chennithala further said that he does not know what was the intention behind the attacks, “but it cannot be allowed in a democratic system.”He also said that party offices are never attacked anywhere in Keralam as “that is not our culture”.At the Anavoor mandalam committee office, a local party leader said that witnesses saw a BJP activist pouring something on the posters of Satheesan and late former CM Oommen Chandy on the office compound wall and setting it on fire.“Due to the locals intervention, the fire did not spread to the office, but the posters were destroyed,” he told a TV channel.
