Kannur: Youth Congress members in protest waved black flags at the Nava Kerala Sadas special bus carrying the chief minister and other cabinet ministers at Eripuram in Pazhayangadi in the Kallyasseri constituency on Monday. This is the first protest against Nava Kerala Sadas in the state.

The protest, led by Youth Congress district vice-presidents Mahita Mohan and Sudheesh Vellachal, was registered bypassing heavy police security. A video of the protesters being assaulted by the event's volunteers went viral. Those who sustained injuries to the head were admitted to a hospital in Taliparamba.

Mahita Mohan, who is in police custody, alleged that DYFI-SFI activists brutally beat the protesters for waving the black flag while the police looked on. Congress workers said similar protests have been planned against the event in various places. Meanwhile, police said four KSU and Youth League activists each have been placed under preventive custody. 

Attack by CPM criminals objectionable, condemnable: Sudhakaran
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran termed the incident an attack by CPM criminals that was objectionable and condemnable. 

"Is it criminal to wave a black flag at the chief minister? Is feeding innocent Congress workers to power-hungry CPM criminals the state police's way of enforcing the law? If so, then we are not ready to obey it either. If the police force has decided to protect CPM criminals while they take the law into their hands and manhandle Youth Congress or KSU workers, we will take to the streets," warned Sudhakaran. 

He further said this was a deliberate attack by the CPM. "The Congress will not allow the chief minister to go on a luxury bus excursion while he turns a blind eye to the problems of the people and sends goons to beat up protesters," added Sudhakaran.