Kochi/Kannur: Congress has accused the CPM of scuttling the conciliatory moves in connection with its workers allegedly vandalising actor Joju George's car during the opposition party's road blockade, protesting against the rising fuel prices, on November 1.
KPCC president K Sudhakaran said in Kannur that senior CPM leaders, including a minister, discouraged George from holding compromise talks with Congress. K Babu, MLA, also levelled the same accusation against CPM.
Sudhakaran said the actor's friends took the initiative for a compromise and approached Congress. George, however, withdrew following pressure from CPM.
Soon after the confrontation between the actor and Congress workers at Vyttila in Kochi, Sudhakaran had said that George behaved like a 'street goon', which angered a section of the film industry.
MLA Babu said in Kochi that the compromise talks did not take place after a demand that a CPM MLA should be the mediator. He accused the actor of deliberately causing provocation during the protest and demanded the police to reveal the action taken against George for violating Covid-19 protocol.
Television visuals of the incident showed a maskless George engaging in a heated argument with Congress activists.
Police have arrested two Congress activists for smashing the rear windshield of the actor's swanky car. Moves for a compromise were initiated after the arrest of PG Joseph, convener of the INTUC-affiliated union of autorickshaw drivers at Vyttila. A Youth Congress worker Sheriff was arrested on Friday.
The compromise move was initiated by George's friends. Following the move, DCC president Mohammed Shiyas made a statement that both sides were at fault, and Congress was willing to put the issue to rest.
Congress withdrew the compromise initiative after the actor reportedly demanded the party to repair his car and also to issue a public apology.
The party has now taken a stand to go for a compromise only after George makes an initiative.
The actor's car was vandalised after he questioned the Congress activists for blocking the busy bypass stretch between Vyttila and Edappally.
