THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Secretariat dharna staged by Yuva Morcha on Saturday in protest against increasing the pension age turned violent following altercation between the police and the agitators. Three police personnel and six Yuva Morcha workers were injured. Tension prevailed in front of the Secretariat for more than an hour as the police caned the agitators and used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse them. The agitators in turn pelted stones at police which caused damage to vehicles parked in the area and the nearby shops. Around 160 Yuva Morcha workers were arrested and brought to the AR Camp at Nandavanam. The injured police personnel were AR camp ASI John Rose and civil police officers Viswanth and Deepu.
152 remanded
152 Yuva Morcha activists who were arrested during clashes with the police were sent to remand. BJP state president V Muralidharan staged a fast in front of the Secretariat late in the evening protesting against the police action to remand the arrested Yuva Morcha workers and the arrested persons began a fast in the AR Camp. Earlier in the morning, the march which started from Gandhi Park was inaugurated by V Muralidharan. Yuva Morcha state president V V Rajesh, vice-president Aneesh, general secretaries Ravi Sarath and K P George led the march and dharna.