Thiruvananthapuram: Youth Congress march turns violent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The march staged by Youth Congress activists here in support of the KSU agitation on the University College issue turned violence on Monday. Several policemen, including a circle inspector, sustained injuries in stone-throwing by the activists who were lathicharged by the police. They also used water cannons on the protestors who tried to break the police barricades in front the secretariat where KSU leaders, including state president K.M. Abhijit, were staging an indefinite fast. Later, the police removed them to the Medical College Hospital.

Praveendas, a cameraman of Mathrubhumi.com, was also injured in the stone-pelting and was hospitalised. KSU state general secretary Subin Mathew said that a state-wide education bandh will be held on Tuesday against the police attack.

The Youth Congress activists led by its state president Dean Kuriakose MP and the KSU took out the march seeking a judicial probe into the violent incidents in the University College. The busy MG Road turned into a war zone between the police and the protestors blocking traffic for a long time.

Later, Dean Kuriakose said that the KSU protest was being taken over by the Youth Congress.

"The Youth Congress will hold a day-and-night protest in front of the Public Service Commission office at Patoom on July 29 and 30 and before all PSC offices in the state next month. We will also move the High Court to probe the anomalies in the functioning of PSC," he said.

Former students of University College and cultural activists will hold a day-long protest on Wednesday demanding an end to the SFI violence. The programme is being held under the banner of 'Unarvu,' an NGO with the slogan, 'Knowledge is weapon.'