Police register case, submits report in court on Vadanappally kit issue

THRISSUR: A clash broke out the other day over the protest by the UDF at Vadanappally in the Manaloor assembly constituency against the BJP for distributing kits to influence voters. The police had registered a case in the incident that led to the arrest of UDF candidate T N Prathapan. The police have sought permission from the court to proceed with the FIR. The police had submitted a report in the Chavakkad Magistrate's Court. The court will hear the case today.

In addition to Thrissur constituency, the BJP leadership in the district has landed in trouble after the kit controversy broke out in the neighboring Manaloor constituency. UDF and LDF workers protested at around 11 am following information that kits were being distributed at the godown of a company called Champion Traders in Vadanappally. Dramatic scenes were witnessed for about five hours as the police and the protesters clashed.

The UDF workers who broke the gate of the godown and got inside stopped BJP leader and actor Devan and others who had come to the owner's house adjacent to the godown. As the protests intensified, Devan went to the balcony of the house and shouted slogans. The BJP and Congress workers came face to face, shouted slogans creating a tense situation. The BJP workers manhandled T N Prathapan. LDF candidate C Ravindranath also reached the spot. The police later arrested T N Prathapan. Prathapan responded to the incident by saying that those who had given the kit are out and those who raised the issue are being arrested.

The police had earlier registered a case against BJP local leader Radhakrishnan as the first accused in a complaint that food kits were distributed in Olarikara in Thrissur constituency. The kit controversy broke out in Vadanappally shortly after this.