Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 14:19:25
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 156.15 2.16%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,456.50 1.10%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 432.80 1.12%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 278.05 2.58%
  1. State Bank Of India share price
  2. 758.60 3.34%
Business News/ News / India/  Kerala: Rahul Gandhi's office vandalised by SFI activists in Wayanad, CM condemns violence. Watch
BackBack

Kerala: Rahul Gandhi's office vandalised by SFI activists in Wayanad, CM condemns violence. Watch

The police has said that protest march contained around 100 SFI activists, and eight of them have been taken into custody

Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi.  (Reuters)Premium
Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi.  (Reuters)

On Friday, visuals emerged of Students' Federation of India (SFI) activists, the students wing of ruling CPI(M) entering the office of Congress leader rahul Gandhi in Wayanad and vandalising it. 

Several videos went viral on social media which showed those angry SFI protesters entering the office, in a brawl which later turned violent. 

The Kerala police has said that protest march contained around 100 Students' Federation of India (SFI) activists and they barged into the office. They also confirmed that eight of the violent protesters have been taken into custody. 

The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also issued a statement wherein he has condemned the violence and promised strict action against the 

In an official statement he said, “Strongly condemn the offence on office of Rahul Gandhi. In our country, everyone has the right to air their opinions & protest democratically. However, that shouldn't result in excess. It's a wrong tendency. Strict action will be taken against culprits."

Watch the video here

"There were around 80-100 activists. As of now, eight of them are under custody. More police have been deployed," police told news agency PTI.

The student organisation protested alleging that Gandhi failed to intervene in the issue of creating buffer zones around forests in the hilly areas of Kerala. Television channels aired visuals of a group of protestors creating ruckus inside the MP's office.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan sharply reacted to the incident and said the attack showed lawlessness and "goondaism".

"Ghastly attack by SFI goons at Rahul Gandhi's MP Office at Wayanad. It is lawlessness and goondaism. CPM has turned into an organised mafia. Strongly Condemning the attack," the Congress leader tweeted.

Further Congress leader KC Venugopal also told news agency ANI, “Today around 3 pm, a group of SFI workers and leaders forcefully encroached on the office of Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi. They attacked the office people, Rahul Gandhi's staff brutally. We don't know the reason."

Congress leader rahul Gandhi has been on the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wherein he was called in for questioning for five days in the National herald money laundering case. 

Rahul Gandhi is being questioned about the ownership of Young Indian Private Limited (YIL) by the Gandhi family and its shareholding pattern in Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that runs the National Herald newspaper, said sources.

In a complaint in the Delhi High Court, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy accused Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi, and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds.

Rahul Gandhi's mother Sonia Gandhi has also been summoned by the ED to appear before the investigators in the case on June 23.

Meanwhile, the Congress held a 'Satyagraha' against the Centre's Agnipath scheme and questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED, saying the government has "betrayed" the youth with the new military recruitment model and is indulging in "vendetta politics" by targeting the former party chief.

The National Herald, started by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was published by the AJL. In 2010, the AJL, which faced financial difficulties, was taken over by a newly-floated YIL with Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda as directors, both of them Gandhi loyalists.

There are allegations that AJL was founded in the 1930s to print National Herald and had 5,000 freedom fighters as shareholders.

AJL is now in Gandhi's family ownership. AJL declared in 2008 that it would not print newspapers anymore and will enter real estate.

The case to investigate alleged financial irregularities under the PMLA was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013. Swamy had approached the court alleging that the assets of AJL were fraudulently acquired and transferred to YIL, in which Sonia Gandhi and her son owned 38 per cent shares each.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 24 Jun 2022, 06:15 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App