Six RSS workers in custody for attack on Malayalam poet

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KOLLAM (Kerala): Six RSS workers have been taken into custody for an attack on poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar, that took place near here late last night.

Sreekumar was attacked by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers when he was about to leave the venue of a meeting where he had delivered a speech on an ongoing struggle by the people of Vadayambady near Kochi against what has been described by Dalits as a "caste wall".

Sreekumar reportedly criticised Hindutva forces during his speech.

Sreekumar confirmed that he was waylaid by the group of men, who were abusing him. However, the poet managed to get away in a car after some people came to his rescue.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has condemned the "fascist attack" and instructed the police to take strict action against the culprits.

A case has been registered against 15 persons and six have been taken into custody, who would be produced in a court later on Tuesday.

Former state Congress President V.M. Sudheeran told the media that "this is a blatant violation of expression of freedom by the fascist forces".

The social media has gone viral over the attack.

However, the discussion has been mostly centred on a statement made by Vijayan in 2010 when a group of CPI-M youth wing members had attacked hugely popular writer Paul Zacharia.

Zacharia was attacked for speaking out against the CPI-M`s "conservative" approach towards man-woman relationships, in light of the arrest of a Congress leader, then.

Vijayan had then called it "a natural outburst of comrades".