A case was registered after posters targeting senior Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were put up on walls of grand old party's office and nearby areas in Kerala's Wayanad earlier this week, said officials on Sunday. The case was registered at the Kalpetta police station following a complaint by Congress MLA T Siddique.
As per the first information report (FIR), the posters had appeared on May 13 at the Wayanad DCC office compound wall and nearby areas, while there was a confusion over Kerala's next chief minister. The posters warned that Wayanad could become the next Amethi for the Congress, referring to Rahul Gandhi's loss in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"Mr Rahul and Priyanka Forget Wayanad... You won't win again from here," one of the posters read.
"Mr Rahul, KC might be your bag bearer but people of Kerala never forgive you," another poster read. "RG and PG, This is not a warning, Kerala never forgive you for this blunder."
These posters were soon removed by Congress workers, said police, adding that a case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Kerala Police Act. Police have also retrieved CCTV footage that showed a man who was putting up the posters. Efforts are now being made to identify him.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) had emerged victorious in the recently held Kerala assembly elections, winning 102 out of the 140 seats in the state. However, the Congress was unable to decide on the chief minister, as there was confusion between VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal.
As per reports, the Congress top brass wanted Venugopal, known for his closeness to Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, for the top post, but party workers were backing Satheesan and Chennithala. The suspense, though, ended this week after the Congress leadership picked Satheesan as the next chief minister of Kerala. His swearing in ceremony will now take place on May 18 in presence of senior leaders of the party.
"I am humbled by the trust placed in me by the party and the people. They entrusted me with a huge responsibility, and I am very thankful to team UDF and the workers. I dedicate my CMship to the people of Kerala. We have promised many things, and I think we can build a team that can change Keralam," Satheesan had said after being named the next chief minister.
