Thiruvanathapuram: Kerala's Opposition leader VD Satheesan on Saturday stated that the Congress was forced to retaliate as the State government had tested its patience beyond limit during the Nava Keraka Sadas.
"I feel sorry for Kerala's Chief Minister. The CM and his minister embarked on a 44-day journey with the tax payer's money after bringing all administrative activities to a halt. However, the chief minister has become a laughing stock as he returns to the capital," the Congress leader told Manorama News.
Satheesan added that the Nava Kerala Sadas has proven beyond doubt that the UDF's decision to boycott the programme was right. He said that the Nava Kerala Sadas was just an election campaign done at the expense of the tax payer and panchayats.
The Opposition leader also slammed the government for placing Congress workers under preventive detention and allowing DYFI workers to brutally assault the Youth Congress workers.
"The Chief Minister who is also the Home Minister of the State has justified these acts. We lost our patience when we saw the attacks launched by CPM goons on our youngsters. This forced us to retaliate. We won't sacrifice them," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF Convenor EP Jayarajan said that VD Satheesan was harbouring anti-Kerala sentiments. "The people who love the Chief Minister will not stand back when protesters throw stones at the CM's cavalcade," he said.
A day before the outreach programme of the Left government in Kerala, the Nava Kerala Sadas, is set to conclude, the state capital on Friday witnessed violence involving the Youth Congress, Congress workers and the DYFI and CPI(M) activists.
The State has been witnessing widespread violence ever since the beginning of the Nava Kerala Sadas. The DYFI attack on Congress workers inside the Venjarammoodu police station premises on December 21, the assault of black-flag-waving Youth Congress workers using flower pots and helmets, the bashing up of Youth Congress workers in Alappuzha by CM's gunman are a few incidents witnessed during the month-long programme.