Kerala legislator pulls out revolver after being 'threatened'

Seven-time Kerala legislator P.C. George on Thursday pulled out his revolver after being "threatened" by a group of people.

George told the media on Thursday that the news is correct.

The police have begun a probe into the episode.

Explaining the sequence of events, George said: "Two days back, a group of people in my constituency came to me to tell their woes that they are being threatened with being thrown out from their homes by some people who work in an estate near Mundakayam.

"This morning, I reached the area of dispute. On one side were the employees of an estate who were all drunk, and on the other side were 52 families living in the place for ages who were being threatened by these employees with eviction," said George, an independent legislator who represents Poonjar assembly constituency in Kottayam district.

"When I reached there, I went around the place and saw things for myself. After which these employees started shouting slogans against me and menacingly came towards me. I pulled out my revolver for my own safety.

"This is a licensed revolver and what's the doubt, I would have opened fire had they attacked me. This revolver is meant to protect me. I later came to know that these employees also had acid bulbs with them. As a legislator, I am responsible for my electorate. They had a genuine problem and hence I came to protect them. I only did my duty," added George, who won his traditional Poonjar seat by beating the traditional rival fronts in Kerala and also the BJP.

CPI-M Kottayam district secretary V.N. Vasavan, a former legislator, termed it a shocking incident and said this had never happened in the state.

"With this incident it has now become clear that the legislator is with the encroachers and is protecting them, and he did not support the estate employees. This is a shameful incident and needs to be condemned," said Vasavan.

--IANS

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