Chief Minister Oommen Chandy sustained a minor injury on his forehead here on Sunday as his vehicle speeding past Left Democratic Front (LDF) workers waving black flags at him was pelted with stones.
Mr. Chandy, however, reached the venue of the State Police Athletic Meet at the Police Parade Ground and inaugurated its valedictory function.
Mr. Chandy was in the left seat of the second row of the car. Rural Development Minister K.C. Joseph was in the right seat. The stones hit the window glasses on both sides of the second row, shattering them, as the convoy of vehicles, guarded by personnel of the quick response team, reached near the circle close to the Police Club here at 5.45 p.m.
T. Siddique, general secretary, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, who was in the front passenger seat, sustained a minor injury in his hand.
The police used batons to disperse the protesting LDF workers who rushed to the Chief Minister’s convoy. A police officer was injured in the stone-throwing.
The protesters had been gathering since afternoon at various spots leading to the venue of the athletic meet. Mr. Chandy was scheduled to reach there at 5.30 p.m. He travelled by road from the Kozhikode airport, and on the way, visited the bereaved family of K. Raghavan, musician, who died last week.
The State Police Chief and other senior police officers were present when Mr. Chandy reached the venue of the function.
Mr. Joseph told presspersons there that another stone hit Mr. Chandy’s chest. He said the attack was part of a deliberate attempt plotted by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to endanger the Chief Minister. The party had violated all norms of political propriety.
An agitated Mr. Joseph said the party would have to pay a heavy price. Such kind of protest could not be tolerated.
After the function, Mr. Chandy and Mr. Joseph went to the Stadium Corner here to address a rally of Congress workers in the district.
The CPI(M) leaders P. Jayarajan, P.K. Sreemathy, M.V. Jayarajan and C. Krishnan were among the Opposition leaders present at spots where the LDF workers staged a protest.
