Reports of an alleged boycott of a family by local Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] workers at Peralassery here on a dispute over surrender of land for road widening left a wedding ceremony in the family on Thursday in a state of uncertainty.
The venue of the wedding of M.K. Jaseena, an employee of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), had to be shifted to an auditorium at Peralassery after the road to her house was blocked by alleged CPI(M) workers in protest against her family’s objection to the proposal for handing over land for road widening.
The girl’s relatives alleged that the local party leadership had blocked the road to her residence and intimidated labourers who brought materials for the wedding reception. The road had been blocked by mud and bricks.
The Chakkarakkal police had registered a case following a complaint from the residents on September 8. The police said that the road was found cleared of the rubble on Thursday. M.K. Anandababu, uncle of the bride, said the family had to shift the venue to the auditorium on September 10 when the caterers arranged for the reception had been threatened.
The wedding reception was originally planned to be held in the house. The family and the local CPI(M) leadership were at loggerheads over a dispute on a new road. Anandababu, brother of Jaseena’s father M.K. Narayanan, had handed over a 100-metre stretch of 2.5-metre wide land for the road. The local party leaders had demanded that the width of the road be increased to five metres.
CPI(M) Edakkad area committee secretary K.V. Balan dismissed the allegation and stated that no party workers had threatened the catering workers or blocked the road.
Some sections were using the media to tarnish the image of the party, he said at a press conference here on Thursday. He said that contrary to the reports, the auditorium had been booked in advance by the family, alleging that the charge of the boycott by the party was baseless.
