A slap in the face of voters

KOLLAM: Not only mediapersons, but also the voters are at the receiving end of hot-tempered politicians.

If on Monday, it was P Jayarajan MLA who unleashed his fury on a TV journalist, on Tuesday it was allegedly the turn of Civil Supplies Minister C Divakaran to lose his temper.

The incident happened at Karunagapally railway station. According to a case charged by the Karunagapally police, Sudhakaran, 41, of Kulanjiyil, Karunagapally, was manhandled by C Divakaran and his supporters when he told the minister that he was a UDF worker and would not vote for him.

Sudhakaran told the police that while waiting for the train at the second platform of the Karunagapally railway station, the minister and his supporters came to the platform at 8.30 am for campaigning. As the minister arrived near the waiting passengers, all except him, stood up in respect.

The minister moved ahead but returned and told Sudhakaran that he is the LDF candidate in Karunagapally and asked for his vote. Sudhakaran said he would not vote for him as he is a UDF worker. Then the minister asked him where he was working. Sudhakran refused to tell the details about his workplace. Following this, the minister tried to take an envelop from Sudhakaran’s pocket. When he objected to it, the minister slapped him on the face.

But Divakaran denied the charge and said that it was a politically-motivated allegation.

He had left the place after asking for vote and perhaps his party worke r s mi ght have picked up an argument with Sudhakaran for his rude behaviour.

Sudhakaran immediately informed the matter to the Station Master and got himself admitted to the taluk hospital.

The Karunagapally police said they had to seek the permission of the First Class Judicial Magistrate to charge a case under Section 323 of the IPC. There is no provision to charge a case directly if a person is slapped with hands. So they had to give a written request to the magistrate in this regard.

The UDF workers took out a protest march to the Karungapally police station and staged a dharna.

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