Kerala Cong workers demand Rs 2000 from vegetable seller triggering major ruckus, party responds

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

Kollam, Sep 16, 2022: Ruckus marred the ‘Bharat Jodo’ Yatra in Kerala’s Kollam district over donations to the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress pan India march. According to the police, a scuffle broke out between a Congress worker and a vegetable vendor over the donation amount. The entire incident was caught on camera.

 

According to cops, a local Congress worker asked a vegetable vendor to give Rs 2,000 as a donation for the yatra and the later in return said he could only give Rs 500. This reportedly led to a scuffle between the two in which the vegetable weighing machine of the shop was reportedly damaged.

In the video, the Congress worker is seen distributing flyers of the Congress yatra and demanded Rs 2000 from a local vegetable vendor. The shop owner is then heard arguing with the Congress worker who says, “we ourselves are struggling to make ends meet, you should be supporting us instead of asking us for money.” The congress leader and the shopkeeper then began exchanging high pitch digs at each other with both using foul language.

 

@ANI @RahulGandhi @republic @TimesNow @IndiaToday @BJPInNews@AskAnshul @INCKerala @vdsatheesan

Congress member attack a vegetable shop and destroy their weighing machine worth 8000 Rs for not paying donation of Rs 2000 for Bharath Jodo Yatra at Kunnikodu / Kerala. pic.twitter.com/Gds6gnR7VI

— Bipin Madhu (@bipinaiswarya) September 16, 2022

After the heated argument, the shop owner along with some others reportedly went to the congress office and threatened them. The Kerala Police have registered two case after the incident. One case was registered against congress workers for criminal trespassing, causing damage to property and for criminal intimidation. Another case was registered against the shop owner among others for using obscene language in public and for criminal intimidation.

The BJP took the opportunity to slam the Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted - Ironically the Congress says this Yatra is about “economic hardships” being faced by poor! Congress is the biggest economic hardship India ever faced!.

The Congress responded to the incident and Jairam Ramesh tweeted - “Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee has been doing crowdfunding for years. Their politics runs on small donations at the grassroots. But this should not have happened. These three were clearly fringe elements and exemplary action has been taken immediately by the PCC President."