Kozhikode: Kozhikode Collector Snehil Kumar Singh has denied permission to Congress to organise a rally expressing solidarity with Palestine at Kozhikode Beach on November 23, said district president of the party K Praveen Kumar.
The Collector denied the permission saying the venue is booked for Nava Kerala Sadas, the State government's outreach programme, on November 25. "The reason is amusing because Kozhikode Kadappuram often hosts two massive events in a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Here, there is a gap of 48 hours," said Praveen Kumar. "This incident proves that CPM's love for Palestine is just a strategy to garner votes. It has no sincerity," he said. Praveen Kumar said the Congress would disregard the denial of permission and go ahead with the rally as announced.
On November 9, Thursday, when Kerala state Congress President K Sudhakaran announced the rally, he said the event would expose the hypocrisy of the CPM which is "abusing the plight of the Palestinian people for political gain and electoral gain in Kerala". To be sure, the CPM-led LDF organised a Palestine Solidarity Rally in Kozhikode on Saturday, November 11.
Praveen Kumar said the Congress planned the event for 50,000 people and the party had no other venue other than Kozhikode Beach. "Where will we organise such a massive gathering of people," he asked.
A day before Sudhakaran announced the Congress rally, the District Congress president said he contacted the Port Officer. "He asked us to contact the DTPC (District Tourism Promotion Council) secretary. I spoke with him over the phone and he said come over, there is no problem," Praveen Kumar told Onmanorama.
But when the Congress leaders went to his office to deposit the requisite fee (which comes to around Rs 30,000) on Thursday, the DTPC secretary expressed doubts. "Officer said there was some problem and he would have to ask the Collector. I told him that the KPCC President announced after you gave the consent over the phone," he said.
On Monday, November 13, the Collector told him that the open stage on the beach could not be given to the Congress event. "The Collector said the event can be held 100m away from the stage. How can we organise an event for 50,000 people 100m away from the stage?" he said.
Permission to organise events at Kozhikode Beach is sought and given for the stage and the foreground. "Never before has the District Administration given permission for an event 100m away. It creates a lot of inconvenience to the people," he said.
Kozhikode Collector Snehil Kumar Singh did not attend to multiple calls made to his phone.
