IDUKKI: On a day of fast-paced developments, Pembilai Orumai late on Saturday decided to withdraw the hunger strike following a meeting of its top brass. Nonetheless, it will continue the protest till Power Minister M M Mani is ousted from office.
Prior to this, Pembilai Orumai leaders returned to the venue of the hunger strike in Munnar town in the evening, barely hours after they were forcibly shifted to a hospital.
Pembilai Orumai leaders Gomathy Augustine, J Rajeswary and Kausalya Thankamani who were shifted to Adimali government hospital on the fifth day of their hunger strike returned to the protest venue by 9pm.
Earlier, it was amid dramatic scenes the police forcibly shifted the Pembilai Orumai leaders to the hospital. However, the women Congress leaders and the AAP activists present there alleged the police had dealt with the protesters roughly while shifting them to them hospital.
Soon after the hunger strikers were shifted to hospital, Sreelatha Chandran, a member of Pembilai Orumai, began a hunger strike at the same venue.
The trouble began after a heavy posse of police arrived at the venue of the protest around 2.30pm and forced the leaders into a waiting ambulance, citing their deteriorating condition. Despite Gomathy insisting there was nothing wrong with her overall health, the police refused to pay heed.
Even the move by the supporters of the protests, including Congress leaders Shanimol Usman, Lathika Subhash and AAP leader C R Neelakandan, failed to deter the police.
There were also some anxious moments when Gomathy made an unsuccessful attempt to get down from the ambulance.
Meanwhile, the Youth Congress activists tried to block the ambulance ferrying Gomathy at Adimali. However, the police swung into action and removed five YC activists.
Later, Gomathy left the hospital by 8pm without waiting for permission from the hospital authorities.