Six RSS workers in custody for attack on poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar

Kollam: Six RSS workers have been taken into custody for an attack on poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar, that took place near here late Monday night.

Sreekumar was attacked by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers when he was about to leave the venue of a meeting where he had delivered a speech on an ongoing struggle by the people of Vadayambady near Kochi against what has been described by Dalits as a "caste wall".

Sreekumar reportedly criticised Hindutva forces during his speech.

As he was about to return, a group of people allegedly blocked his way and verbally abused him. While there were reports that the poet was jostled and shoved by the group, the police ruled out the same and added that ‘the miscreants only shouted at him’.

Sreekumar’s vehicle was damaged by the attackers. The poet was immediately rescued by the organizers of the event.

“They should not think that I would be scared by these. I will continue my political and social activities with more rigor and passion,” he added.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has condemned the "fascist attack" and instructed the police to take strict action against the culprits.

A case has been registered against 15 persons and six have been taken into custody, who would be produced in a court later on Tuesday.

Former state Congress President V.M. Sudheeran told the media that "this is a blatant violation of expression of freedom by the fascist forces".

The social media has gone viral over the attack.

However, the discussion has been mostly centred on a statement made by Vijayan in 2010 when a group of CPI-M youth wing members had attacked hugely popular writer Paul Zacharia.

Zacharia was attacked for speaking out against the CPI-M's "conservative" approach towards man-woman relationships, in light of the arrest of a Congress leader, then.

Vijayan had then called it "a natural outburst of comrades".