KOCHI: The Indian National League (INL), a constituent of the ruling LDF, split on Sunday after supporters of the two warring factions clashed on the sidelines of the party state secretariat meeting in Kochi.
Party state president A P Abdul Wahab expelled general secretary Kasim Irikkur from the party while national president Prof Mohammed Sulaiman removed Wahab from his post and expelled seven state secretariat members belonging to the rival group.
Irikkoor announced working president B Hamsa Haji as the party's new state president and claimed that his faction enjoyed support of the INL national leadership.
Both factions had held parallel meetings of their supporters in Aluva and Fort Kochi before announcing their decisions. “After completing the secretariat meeting in Kochi, we went to Aluva to conduct the working committee meeting. We completed the procedures of the working committee by 5pm,” Irikkur said.
The Wahab faction, meanwhile, alleged that Irikkur was acting as an IUML agent and he wanted to create trouble for the LDF government.
Police use force to disperse workers
The CPM had asked the INL leaders to settle issues in the party a few days ago.
Earlier, the clashes occurred in the presence of ports minister Ahamed Devarkovil and police had to escort him out of the hotel where the meeting took place. They also had to use force to disperse the clashing workers besides taking a few of them into custody.
Irikkur said the party working committee meeting in Kozhikode on July 2 had decided to take disciplinary action against two secretariat members for anti-party activities and Sunday’s issues began after the meeting took up the matter. He said the official faction was not part of the violence.
Sources said minor clashes had begun in the hall of the hotel soon after the leaders’ meeting began. The faction opposed to Wahab did not heed to his announcement that the meeting was over and strong arguments ensued, which later turned into a full-blown scuffle.
Police have registered cases under the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance for violation of Covid protocols and under IPC for rioting. They have so far recorded the arrest of five persons.
