Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s maiden journey on Tuesday literally shook up the Kochi metro rail system, with hundreds of United Democratic Front supporters rushing into the coaches. The entrance to the Aluva metro station teemed with UDF workers and the metro employees had a tough time controlling the crowd.
It was with great difficulty that Mr. Chandy and other leaders reached the platform. Ernakulam DCC president T.J. Vinod later told a public meeting in Palarivattam that he had to jump off the coach because of the bustle. The rush also resulted in Mr. Chandy missing the first train in which the Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala got in. It was decided earlier that all the leaders would travel together in the same train from Aluva to Palarivattam. KPCC president M.M. Hassan and several MLAs too travelled on the metro from Aluva.
The scenes at Aluva station was repeated at Palarivattam, where a photographer was hurt in the melee. Youth Congress and KSU activists joined the crowd. Shouting slogans in support of Mr. Chandy the workers took the leaders in an open vehicle to Palarivattam, where the Kochi metro rail service was “inaugurated.” The programme was organised to protest against the UDF leaders being “ignored” at the inaugural function of the metro on June 17.
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Mr. Chandy, however, did not politicise the issue. He said that if people of Kerala stood united any big project could be completed.