Kannur/Thiruvananthapuram, February 25 Kerala Health Minister Veena George is alleged to have been injured during a protest by activists of the Congress-led opposition's student group here on Wednesday.
The incident occurred when the minister arrived at the Kannur railway station to board a train, according to police sources.
State Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer, who was present at the railway station at the time of the incident, told reporters that the minister sustained injuries to her hand and neck.
Footage aired by news channels showed the minister, accompanied by police personnel, caught between protesters.
She has been taken to the government hospital here. Senior CPI(M) leader P Jayarajan said she is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit.
George has been facing protests by the opposition for the past week following incidents of alleged medical negligence involving a few patients.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan strongly condemned the alleged attack on George by activists of the Congress student wing, KSU, calling it an act of "deplorable politics" by the ruling party.
In a statement, the chief minister said the health minister was attacked and injured at the Kannur railway station while she was walking towards the platform.
"What happened there was not a protest of any kind, but the rampage of a group of violent individuals," Vijayan said.
The chief minister said that Kerala has one of the best public health systems in India, a fact recognized by official agencies, and accused the Congress of exaggerating certain incidents to target a minister who had no involvement whatsoever.
"Such actions cannot be seen as politics, but only as political degeneration," he said.
Warning the Congress leadership, Vijayan said they should not believe they could "unleash their supporters and disrupt law and order or create unrest in the state."
He said the responsibility for the incident rests entirely with the leadership of the Congress and the UDF, adding that the attack reflected a pattern of polluting politics by raising completely baseless allegations.
Calling the incident "highly condemnable and deserving of strong protest", the CM said strict action would be taken.
"The attack by KSU activists is a reflection of their style of polluting politics by raising completely baseless allegations. This incident is highly condemnable and deserving of strong protest," Vijayan said.