Thiruvananthapuram: Youth Congress activists clashed with police in various districts across Kerala during the protest marches organised against the recent assault on workers during the Chief Minister-led Nava Kerala Sadas.
The Capital city of Thiruvananthapuram witnessed a pitched battle between the Youth Congress activists and the police outside the state secretariat complex. Hundreds of activists took out a march to the secretariat demanding action against the DYFI workers and police personnel including those in the CM security, who had mercilessly beaten up YC members who waved black flags at the bus carrying chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his 20 colleagues during Nava Kerala Sadas.
The Nava Kerala Sadas is an outreach programme of the ruling LDF which began from Kasarogd on November 18. The yatra of the Cabinet will conclude in Thiruvananthapuram on December 23 after covering all 140 assembly constituencies in the state.
The YC–police clashes happened on a day when the Nava Kerala Sadas entered the Thiruvananthapuram district. The Congress has called for the DGP office march on December 23, when the yatra concludes.
Banners, posters, and boards carrying pictures of the chief minister and his Cabinet colleagues were pulled down and burnt by YC activists on their way to the secretariat.
The police heavily barricaded the main gate of the secretariat. Stones, sticks, and slippers were hurled at the cops by the agitating workers. In response, the police used water cannons and even resorted to mild lathi-charge to chase away the protestors.
Opposition leader slams CM
Opposition leader V D Satheeshan who inaugurated the protest march outside the secretariat alleged that the Congress workers were being brutally assaulted at the behest of the chief minister. “The chief minister is working with a sadist criminal mindset to crush democratic protests. Our workers will be forced to retaliate across the state if the violence let loose against them is not stopped immediately,” he said.
The opposition leader said the Nava Kerala Sadas was the last journey of the Cabinet. “The Maharaja will be brought down from the throne soon,” he said and accused the police of misbehaving and tearing the clothes of women protestors.
Kochi: In Ernakulam district, Youth Congress workers marched to the police station. A Congress worker fainted during the protest in Kochi. The march was inaugurated by District Congress President Shiyaz.
The activists tried to break the police barricade but failed.
In Malappuram district, the Congress workers clashed with the police at Wandoor. The incident occurred during the march to the Wandoor police station.
Violence marred the march taken out to the police station in Mukkam in Kozhikode district. Congress workers clashed with police in Beypore.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the police were taking orders from the CPM headquarters AKG Centre. “The cops should go by the police manual and not by the instructions given by the Marxist leaders,” he said.
CPM accuses Congress of vitiating the peaceful atmosphere
CPM state secretary M V Govindan accused opposition leader V D Satheeshan of inciting workers to unleash violence. “The opposition leader is trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state by provocative actions. The police have maintained maximum restraint to ensure law and order,” he said and appealed to Congress to shun violence.
