Thiruvananthapuram: A protest march to the Kerala Government Secretariat, led by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has turned violent here on Friday. Police resorted to lathi charge and used water cannons to disperse the violent protesters.

The ABVP organised the march demanding the arrest of former SFI leader K Vidya for allegedly making a fake experience certificate of Maharaja's College, Ernakulam.

ABVP activists started the march from the martyrs' column at Palayam around 12 pm on Friday. The march turned violent when some ABVP activists tried to remove the police barricade placed in front of the north gate of the Secretariat — the seat of the Kerala Government.

The protesters started a sit-in after the police used water canons.

After the inaugural speech, the protesters again attempted to cross the barricade forcing the police to use water canon on them. Enraged, the protesters soon got into a scuffle with the police and some students were injured. As the situation went out of control, police resorted to lathi charge.

The angry protesters pelted stones at the police while fleeing from the spot. Police arrested some students and cleared the protest venue.