Palakkad: DYFI and Youth Congress (YC) activists on Friday protested the naming of a skill development centre for differently abled persons after RSS founder K B Hedgewar. The protests disrupted the foundation stone laying ceremony, and the police intervened to try to stop them.
The programme was organised by the Palakkad municipality, which is ruled by the BJP. Pramila Sasidharan, the municipality’s chairperson, questioned, “What is in a name?” and said that the intention behind the project—to help the disabled—was more important.
“There are stadiums in the name of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Hedgewar has worked for differentk persons. So, what is wrong in naming the centre after him?” she asked while speaking to reporters.
The municipality’s vice chairman, E Krishnadas, slammed the DYFI and the YC for trying to stop the event, saying that it was meant for the good of the over 200 differently-abled persons in the area. “The event will be held, there is no doubt about that,” he said.
The DYFI activists climbed onto the stage, tore off the programme banner, shouted slogans and pushed away the microphone podium, according to visuals shown on TV channels.
A DYFI local leader told reporters that the organisation was not against the project, but it will not allow the centre to be named after the founder of the RSS. Taking a similar stand, YC surrounded the site where the foundation stone was to be laid and even stepped inside it, to prevent the ceremony from taking place.
A YC local leader said that while they were not against the project, the municipality had many political leaders’ names to choose from. “It is sad they chose Hedgewar’s name. We will not allow saffronisation of Palakkad,” he told the media.
The event commenced after the police arrested and removed the DYFI and YC activists from the site.