Youth Congress-SFI violence: Keralam CM accuses CPI(M) of provoking clashes during anti-BJP protests

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Thursday accused the CPI(M) of provoking Wednesday evening’s clashes that turned Palayam in the state capital into a battlefield for hours, prompting police action. The chief minister said the violence would be met with stern action by his government.

In a statement, Mr. Satheesan asked why the CPI(M) was upset about the demonstrations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Youth Congress march on Wednesday was organized to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP. “Why should the CPI(M) be upset when the Congress and its pro-BJP organizations are protesting?” he asked.

The violence was unleashed in Thiruvananthapuram with the knowledge of the CPI(M) leadership, the Chief Minister said. “It was a deliberate move by the CPI(M). The provocation by the SFI workers was deliberate. They threw beer bottles and stones at the Youth Congress workers,” he said.

Mr. Satheesan further said that the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and the BJP have been trying to create unrest in the state for the past few days. “Wednesday’s violence by the CPI(M) and SFI was a continuation of it,” he said.

Palayam and MG Road in the capital witnessed violence for several hours on Wednesday evening after Youth Congress and SFI workers clashed. Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. However, the police action at the Men’s Hostel of the University College drew sharp criticism from the CPI(M) leadership, including party general secretary MA Baba and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, who accused the police of targeting SFI activists.

Published – 01 Oct 2026 13:54 IST