Congress Leader Detained for Blocking Kerala CM’s Convoy

• Congress leader Anil Kumar was detained after Satheesan’s convoy was stopped in Thiruvananthapuram.
• Police booked Kumar under provisions including wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation.
• Kumar denied blocking the Chief Minister’s vehicle and alleged the incident reflected factional politics.
• Congress workers later protested his arrest, disputing the police account of the incident.

GG News Bureau
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 29th Aug: A Congress leader was detained after allegedly stopping the convoy of Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan while he was travelling to an event in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

The incident took place as Satheesan was travelling to Chempazhanthy to attend a programme marking the birth anniversary of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru. A group of people stopped the convoy, reportedly seeking the Chief Minister’s participation in another Sree Narayana Guru event organised at Chenthi.

A video of the incident showed Satheesan stepping out of his vehicle after the convoy was stopped. He was seen speaking to Anil Kumar, a Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee (DCC) leader, and the two engaged in a heated exchange before the Chief Minister returned to his vehicle and left.

Satheesan’s office said the Chenthi programme was not part of his official schedule.

Police registered a case against Kumar, also known as Chenthi Ani, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation and using force to obstruct a public servant from discharging official duties.

According to the FIR, Kumar allegedly confronted the Chief Minister in an aggressive manner and questioned why he was not attending the Chenthi event. Police alleged that Kumar threatened Satheesan when asked to refrain from aggressive behaviour.

Kumar, however, denied blocking the Chief Minister’s vehicle and criticised Satheesan’s conduct during the confrontation. Speaking to reporters while being taken for a medical examination, he described the incident as a result of factional politics within the Congress.

“It is part of the party’s group politics. Groupism is the problem,” Kumar said.

Organisers of the Chenthi event, including Congress workers, subsequently released a photograph showing themselves meeting Satheesan at the Secretariat months earlier to invite him to the programme.

DCC member Suhail Shajahan also protested against Kumar’s arrest. He said he was saddened to see a Congress worker who had worked for the party being arrested.

Shajahan disputed the police version and said he did not see Kumar behaving disrespectfully towards the Chief Minister. He also denied that Kumar and his supporters had blocked Satheesan’s vehicle.

“No vehicles were blocked. They came to welcome the chief minister. Thousands of workers were there, including women. Everyone was left disappointed,” he said.

The incident has brought renewed attention to factional differences within the state Congress unit, with competing accounts emerging over whether the convoy was deliberately obstructed or whether party workers had gathered to welcome the Chief Minister.