Mohammed Shiyas and Joju George put old differences aside, share stage at Kochi event

KOCHI: Congress MLA Mohammed Shiyas and actor Joju George, who were involved in a heated confrontation during a road blockade protest in 2021, have put their differences aside and shared the stage at an event in Kochi. Joju attended the MLA Merit Award ceremony organised by Shiyas, which honoured students who excelled in the SSLC and Plus Two examinations.

Shiyas and Joju had clashed during a Congress-led road blockade in November 2021 to protest against the fuel price hike. The incident took place at Vyttila Junction after Joju got out of his car and objected to the traffic disruption caused by the protest. Shiyas, who was then the Ernakulam DCC president and was leading the agitation, had a heated exchange with the actor. Joju’s Range Rover was also damaged during the incident.

The confrontation soon snowballed into a major political controversy, with both sides trading allegations over the incident.

Four years later, however, the episode appears to be a thing of the past. Shiyas, who was the DCC president at the time, is now the Kochi MLA. He invited Joju to the award ceremony held in his constituency, and the actor accepted the invitation. The event marked the first time the two shared a public stage since their 2021 confrontation.

“Joju told me only the other day that he would attend the programme. There was an issue between us and an argument during a protest. But all that is over now. Joju was simply a person who expressed his opinion as a citizen, and I have accepted that,” Shiyas said while addressing the gathering.

Shiyas also revealed that he and Joju had met earlier while travelling to Dubai and had already put the old differences behind them. Their appearance together at the Kochi event has now signalled a fresh chapter in their relationship.

Asked about the old Vyttila incident, Joju chose not to revisit the controversy and simply extended his Onam greetings.