Alappuzha, Jan 9: The houseboat of Nobel Laureate Michael Levitt was blocked in the backwaters here for some time by trade union activists, who were on a nationwide strike against the Centre's "anti-labour" policies on Wednesday.
Michael Levitt, an American-British-Israeli biophysicist and a professor of structural biology at the Stanford University in the United States, said the incident sent a bad message to tourists.
Levitt, who was in Kerala as a state guest, also said he felt as if a bandit had stopped his wife and him at gunpoint. Police said Levitt, who received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was in Alappuzha with his wife and they were stopped by the protesters near Kainakary.
"Being stopped by criminals on the backwaters sends a very bad message to tourists. It is as if a bandit stopped us at gunpoint and delayed us under the threat of force for one hour," Levitt wrote in an email to his tour agent at Kottayam.
In the email, which was later released to the media, he also said the person who blocked them "ignored all arguments that tourists were exempted" from the strike.
"This person, who did this, ignored all arguments that tourists were exempted and that I am a VIP guest of the Kerala government. He was obviously acting, knowing that he was safe from prosecution. Sadly, this makes me fear that India is sinking into lawlessness," Levitt wrote in the email.
The police registered a case after the houseboat owners filed a complaint in this regard.
Reacting to the incident, state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the government would take strong action. "Strong action will be taken against those anti-social elements who stopped the boat. Levitt was here as a guest of the state government. The government had made it clear that the tourism industry was exempted from the strike," he said.
Trade union leaders had also announced that the strike would not affect the tourism industry.
Ten trade unions, including the INTUC, the AITUC and the CITU, had called for the nationwide strike to protest against the labour reforms, FDI, disinvestment, corporatisation and privatisation policies of the Centre and press for a 12-point demands of the working class, relating to minimum wage, among others.
Addressing a protest meet in front of Konaje police station on Sunday Mr Kateel said: “We (Sangh Parivar) are capable of setting Dakshina Kannada district on fire if the police fail to arrest the accused in Karthik Raj murder case.”
Comments
I think kateel had good new year celebration along with mithun rai.... free alcohol was supplied by mithun rai.....what you say guys????? lagta hai daaru kuch bohat hi zyaada hogayi thi raat me....daaru ka nasha utra nahi hoga....isliye agle din subah aake kateel ne apni dil ki baat keh di.....wo kehte hai na daaru ke nashe me aadmi ke muh se sach nikalta hai
Think twice before u speak, is a famous dialogue which clearly suits Nalini Kumari Kateel.. Mike mila tho pagal bhi gaane lagta hey,,
He is not fit for MP.......should be removed.....
Nalin is lying that he was not well. He uttered what bjp and sanghis have planned. Nothing can be hidden for a long time. this is hidden agenda of sanghis to create trouble in karnataka and costal districts in particular. Police should arrest him under goonda act. He should be removed from MP post as he is unfit for this responsible position. Suprement Court should order central Govt to take notice of this dangerous statement from an MP and remove him from this post. In case Nalin is mentally sick, admit him in a mental hospital.
for instance if this was happened from one of our muslim brother, what would be the reaction and action from these sanghis????? even from chaddi police dept......
ha now we came to know that you are bad mental mp of our dk dist. shame on you. you must resign immediately.
New year night \ raathre paad dina onchooru jaasthiathund\" - mallajjappa powad.
Ancha namma modi 15 lakh niklena bank gu paadwe panthijja..... Anchane indula..
Thoo paadare inbe daane lankeda hanumanthena?"
Hahaha...pukkele...
Typical coward sanghi...
The nation wants to know whether you are really not well or the frog inside well?
No need to give clarification just put this man behind bars. Useless MP
Pradeepji, NOT Wenlock, Kankanady Permanently.
Such goondas are fit to be encountered ....
Yes true he is not well... this all unstable people belongs to BJP/RSS, They dont know what they are speaking after all, all are the followers of chaiwala, what we can expect from this RSS goondas...this marle minister even dont know to speak in parliment, he drinks spit twice before he delivers a word
If he is unwell, admit him to Wenlock
This is the fact and sanghis real mentality. Now he may accept his threatening to set fire his own constituency, message is out in public.
Every anti-national will say the same thing when press conference even Thogadia....Shame on you as a MP of our beloved Dakshina Kannada. Did the people elect you to disturb the area & set fire .. Thooo ninna....
Anna kadle baipinanda thoo malpode, E thoo malpu bokk kadle baipundu.....
why didnt police arrest him, he is enticing people to create violence, why no suo motto on him.
such people should be booked under goonda act
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