Thiruvananthapuram: Youth Congress activists clashed with the police on Thursday during their protest march to the Secretariat, demanding the resignation of the chief minister in the wake of Independent MLA P V Anvar's allegations. Police lathi-charged and used water cannons to stop activists who tried to cross the barricades. As per reports, police beat up activists who fell to the ground. Youth Congress state vice-president Abin Varkey sustained head injuries in the melee.
Police used the water cannon seven times to disperse the protesters. Youth Congress district president Nemom Shajeer's eye was injured. Abin Varkey said it was the SI, who was a DYFI activist, who caused the problem. "We knew there would be physical harm for protesting against the chief minister and ADGP. Let them keep beating; we have come ready to take more blows. The police are wrong if they think beating us to a pulp will end this strike. Two lathis are not enough to suppress this youth movement. We were expecting this rough-up from the police after filing a complaint about the Hema Committee report. It is the party workers deployed from AKG Centre who beat us up," said Abin Varkey.
Meanwhile, Youth Congress leaders claimed that hours before the protest march to the Secretariat, P V Anvar posted that activists would be beaten up on social media. They also said the police acted according to the instructions of DYFI and CPM leaders. Police officers, including the Cantonment CI, sustained injuries in the clash.
Putting the CPM-led government in a spot, Nilambur MLA Anvar had last Sunday accused Pinarayi Vijayan's political secretary P Sasi and ADGP (Law and Order) Ajith Kumar of breaching trust and failing to discharge their duties honestly. He had alleged that Ajith Kumar tapped ministers' phone conversations, had links with gold smuggling rackets and was involved in serious crimes.
The Congress party will carry out a protest march to the secretariat on Friday on the same issue.
Cops will be dealt with personally: K Sudhakaran
KPPC president K Sudhakaran reached the spot of the conflict and warned the police. "Forget police; even if the Army comes and opens fire, our strike will not stop. Do not think beating and threatening with weapons will make us back down. Any police officer who tries to do so will be dealt with. Let there be no doubt about that," warned Sudhakaran.
He asked what did the activists do wrong. "Is it a crime to shout zindabad? Is there a law that enables police to assault protesters and kill them for shouting slogans? Our decision is to deal with the police officers who attacked us personally. Not one, but 100 Abin Varkeys will come. Such is the strength of the Congress. Protesters should be arrested and moved, not hit them on the head. It is not the job of the police to tear clothes off women and watch their nakedness. Is there not a single police officer with dignity in this group? We were beaten up like wild animals. The party will take up this agitation," said Sudhakaran.
The KPCC president instructed Abin Varkey to go to the hospital and promised to "take care" of the SI that harmed him. Initially, none of the injured workers were ready to go to the hospital without removing Cantonment SI Shiju.
