Kochi: Koothattukulam Municipality Councillor Kala Raju has accused CPM workers of abducting her and coercing her into abstaining from supporting a no-confidence motion.
Addressing the media, Kala alleged that the incident, which occurred on Saturday, was orchestrated with the knowledge of the CPM area secretary.
”They did not physically harm me at the office, but they tried to dissuade me from voting in favour of the no-confidence motion,” Kala said. She claimed that DYFI leader Arun Ashokan forced her into a vehicle.
”My leg got stuck in the vehicle door, and he told me to bear with it and that he would sort it later. The person who said this is younger than my son,” she remarked.
Kala further alleged that DYFI members abused her verbally and forcibly dragged her into the vehicle. ”They grabbed me by the neck and forced me into the vehicle. When we arrived at the area committee office, I experienced chest pain.
“I informed them that I was a heart patient, but they only gave me a gas pill. When I requested to be taken to a hospital, they said they needed to consult with the area secretary first,” she explained.
Following the incident, Kala revealed that she is reconsidering her association with the CPM. “The police should have provided protection earlier in the day. Promising to release me after the no-confidence motion was meaningless,” she noted.
Her allegations have intensified the controversy surrounding the no-confidence motion against the LDF-led governing committee. Based on a complaint filed by Kala’s children, police registered a case against 45 individuals, including the CPM area secretary, municipality chairperson, and vice-chairman.