A police personnel nabs an attacker who tried to manhandle CPM leader Sitaram Yechury. ManoramaNew Delhi: A group of four people tried to manhandle CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury at the AKG Bhavan in the national capital on Wednesday afternoon. The police have nabbed two of the attackers.
The miscreants attacked Yechury as he was entering the third floor of the building to attend a press meet. Yehcury fell down but did not sustain any injuries. Yechury was to brief the press on the conclusion of the CPM politburo's two-day meeting here.
The CPM leader then sarcastically commented that such attacks were the part of the third anniversary celebrations of the Modi government. He continued with the press meet.
"We will not be cowed down by any attempts of Sangh's goondagardi to silence us," he later tweeted.
Men who raised slogans at Sitaram Yechury's press conference are Upendra Kumar & Pawan Kaul of Hindu Sena, both have been detained by Police
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 7, 2017
The trespassers were thrashed by the party workers and handed over to police, party sources said.
Their identity has not been ascertained yet, but reports said they were Hindu Sena workers.
The men shouted slogans of 'Hindu Sena zindabad' and 'CPI(M) murdabad'.
'Attack on Indian democracy'
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other political leaders condemned the attack on Yechury at the AKG Bhavan.
Pinarayi said the attack amounted to an assault on Indian democracy. The chief minister's office tweeted "strongly condemn the attack on Com: @SitaramYechury.It amounts to an attack on Indian Democracy."
The Delhi police had also deployed heavy security in view of the Kerala CM's presence at the meeting. Pinarayi has been facing flak from some right-wing organizations over his criticism of the Center's recent notification relating to cattle slaughter.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the attackers were "cowards" who could not challenge ideology with ideology and that is why they confront political rivals through violence.
Chennithala alleged that Hindu Sena activists attacked the CPM leader and it was a challenge to democracy.
CPM has decided to hold protests across the state, condemning the incident, party sources said.
CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran condemned the incident and said it exposed the 'intolerant attitude' of the Sangh Parivar.
Kummanam seeks action against the culprits
The BJP in Kerala also condemned the incident and said that it was inappropriate to physically attack a political leader in a democratic country.
BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said the leadership had already said that neither the party nor the RSS had any role in the incident at the AKG Bhavan.
“Two Hindu Sena workers have been arrested in connection with it,” he said, adding, "they have told police that CPM leaders' unsavory remarks against army had provoked them."
"Still it is with an ulterior motive that efforts are on to link BJP-RSS with the incident," he said.
Kummanam said CPM leaders had not come forward even to condemn the attack on the BJP office here few months ago."BJP now condemns the attack on CPM leader as the party believed in democracy," he added.
He wanted stern action against those who carried out out the attack.
(With inputs from PTI)
