Chandy bares chest to show injury

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Wednesday bared his chest to reveal the marks of the wound he suffered in Sunday's stoning incident.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activists had stoned the car in which Chandy was travelling Sunday in Kannur to attend an athletic meet of Kerala Police. As the windshield crumbled, the chief minister was injured in the forehead, chest and toe.

Former chief minister and CPI-M member V.S. Achuthanandan had claimed that Chandy was feigning injury to win sympathy. Another member of the opposition party, Pinnarayi Vijayan, said Chandy's chest must be made of steel if indeed reports were true that a stone bounced off it.

Unbuttoning his shirt Wednesday, the chief minister told reporters: "See this? It is for this that I was in hospital."

Chandy had been admitted to the Medical College Hospital in the state capital Sunday midnight and discharged Tuesday.

The CPI-M-led Left opposition in the state has been protesting against the chief minister since June this year, alleging that his office was involved in what has come to be called the "solar scam".

The Left opposition has been demanding that the chief minister resign so that an impartial probe into the matter is possible.

Despite the announcement of the judicial probe into the scam, which involved a couple who gathered vast sums of money for investment on the unfulfilled promise of installing solar panels at reduced rates, the protests have continued.

The fraudsters were revealed to be in close touch with several people holding high office in the state.

The Left has now announced an indefinite siege of Chandy's official residence, starting Dec 9.

"It is most unfortunate that they have resorted to an undemocratic form of protest against an elected chief minister. The time for police action against this protest is over and the people will now take over," Chandy said.

Asked about plans for his 70th birthday Thursday, Chandy said: "I do not believe in celebrations. I am leaving for Kochi to take part in a meeting of Kochi Metro and will not be here." He added that the time for recuperating from his wounds was over.