The Kerala police stopped senior BJP leader LK Advani, who was on his way to Kumarakom from the Kochi airport, on the national highway in Alappuzha on Wednesday evening, fearing a backlash from Left wing activists following the attack on CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury in New Delhi.
Local police officers and Special Protection Group (SPG) commandos stopped Advani and his convoy on NH-66 at Kuthiathode in Alappuzha as a protest march of CPM workers was passing through.
Advani had to wait for around 10 minutes at the Kuthiathode CI’s office before he could proceed to Kumarakom. He was at the popular tourism destination in Kottayam on a private visit.
BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan alleged security lapse and said the police should have taken necessary steps to clear the road as Advani belonged to high-security category.
However, the police said there was no security lapse and the police station was designated as a 'safe house' on the route taken by the VVIP.
“There were no security lapses. The SPG commandos asked the pilot vehicle to stop at the safe home as Advani needed to use the washroom. As per our route chart, the Kuthiathode CI’s office was the safe house. This is why we took him there," The New Indian Express quoted district police chief VM Mohammed Rafeeq as saying.
CPM workers in the state had held demonstrations in different centres to protest against the attack on Yechury allegedly by two Hindu Sena activists.