THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tension prevailed in the city after Popular Front of India (PFI) cadres on Monday took out a protest march to the Cliff House, the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging that the police was arbitrarily targeting its leaders in Alappuzha hate speech case.
The march began from Attakkulangara in which hundreds of PFI members took part. As the crowd reached Dewaswom Board Junction, the police blocked them using barricades. Those protestors, who tried to cross over the barricades, were pushed away by the cops. Nevertheless, the protestors refused to leave the place following which the police used water cannons on them.
This did not give the desired result and the agitators refused to disperse. This prompted the cops to burst tear gas. The agitators in return threw empty water bottles at the police.
The tension finally got diffused after the PFI leaders gave speeches and the march ended by 1.50 pm. PFI state secretary C A Raoof, who spoke at the occasion, alleged that the police was unjustly targeting their organization, while going soft on Sangh Parivar leaders booked for giving statements that could create enmity between communities.