Raising an issue, amplifying it among the crowd, bringing them onto the streets, and indulging in violence has been the standard template of Communists for decades. To deploy this, the Kerala CPM party members relied on Rahul Gandhi’s accusations against the Election Commission over voter lists, and brough its cadre onto streets attacked the office of Union Minister Suresh Gopi, MP, on August 12 in Thrissur. They defiled the direction board with black oil, accusing the BJP leader of manipulating the voters’ list ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Some leaders even went to the extent of demanding Suresh Gopi’s resignation as a Member of the Lok Sabha. The attack took place in the evening.
The visuals of a CPM man pouring black oil on the board were telecast by TV channels. The man was taken into custody by the police but was forcibly released from the police vehicle by CPM leaders. As soon as news of the attack spread, hundreds of BJP Yuva Morcha and Mahila Morcha workers rushed to Thrissur city centre from various parts of the city and staged a strong protest march. After marching through the heart of the city, the party workers proceeded to protest outside the CPM district office. The march was led by City District President Justin Jacob and General Secretary P. K. Babu. When the march reached the CPM office area, the police placed barricades to stop the protesters. CPM men and the police attacked the BJP workers. Justin Jacob was struck on the back of the head by a policeman with such force that the lathi broke into two pieces, causing a serious head injury. District General Secretary P. K. Babu was also injured. Both leaders were hospitalised.
On August 13, the BJP staged a strong protest march to the City Police Commissioner’s office, denouncing the attack on Suresh Gopi’s office and the physical assault on party leaders the previous day. Thousands of party workers participated. BJP State General Secretary Shobha Surendran and former State President K. Surendran addressed the massive gathering. Police stopped the march with barricades before it could reach the Commissioner’s office. The protesters refused to disperse, prompting the police to fire water cannon several times, yet the workers stood their ground and continued their protest.
Similar protests took place in districts across the state, with thousands of party workers and leaders participating. On August 13, BJP workers accorded an enthusiastic welcome to Suresh Gopi at Thrissur Railway Station upon his arrival from Thiruvananthapuram. He then visited the injured party leaders in hospital, followed by a visit to the family of Love Jihad victim Sona and the mother of a nun arrested in Chhattisgarh.
The BJP has demanded strict action against the policeman who brutally struck Justin Jacob, yet the police continue to withhold his name. Meanwhile, the BJP has exposed numerous anomalies in the voters’ lists concerning UDF and LDF candidates across all constituencies. Several pro-Congress elements and parties are attempting to bring crowds onto the streets and turn this into a massive, days-long rally.
