Thiruvananthapuram, April 4 – After his convoy was allegedly blocked and a member of his security team was assaulted in Malappuram district, Kerala, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Saturday that he was safe and expressed gratitude for the concern shown by supporters.
In a post on X, Tharoor said: "I am deeply touched by all the messages and calls expressing concern about the incident last night when my security guard was attacked. He is doing well, and I am unharmed. Thank you to all my friends and well-wishers. We continued our work without interruption yesterday and successfully completed two more events as planned. Our ongoing program remains unaffected."
According to police, the incident took place near the Chellithode bridge in Wandoor at around 7:30 pm. Tharoor was travelling to attend an election campaign event of Congress leader A.P. Anil Kumar when his convoy was stopped near the bridge.
A video from the scene showed the senior Congress leader seated in the front seat of his vehicle while a group of men gathered around, with some of them shouting slogans.
The 70-year-old leader confirmed the incident in his post on Saturday morning. Based on a complaint filed by his security personnel, the Wandoor police registered a case, detained suspects, and seized two vehicles linked to the incident.
Police said the case was registered at the Wandoor Police Station following a complaint by Tharoor's gunman, Ratheesh K.P. One person has been taken into custody so far, and further investigation is underway.
Kerala is set to go to the polls on April 9. The counting of votes for the 140-member Assembly will take place on May 4. The current Assembly’s term will end on May 23.
The state has approximately 2.70 crore electors, including 1.31 crore male voters, 1.38 crore female voters, and 277 voters from the third gender.
The upcoming elections are considered crucial for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), as Kerala remains the only state in India currently governed by the Left. The state, known for its alternating political trends between the LDF and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), is also witnessing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as a significant challenger, with its vote share rising substantially in recent elections.
