THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Yuva Morcha activists forcefully shut down Beverages Corporation (Bevco) outlets across the district on Friday demanding a liquor ban for 10 days from Atham to Chathayam on Friday.
At around 10.30 a.m., a group of around 150 workers led by Yuva Morcha district general secretary Rajajinagar Mahesh forced Bevco outlets in Overbridge, Attakulangara and other parts of the city to down shutters. Following this, the workers of Consumerfed outlet closed it voluntarily fearing violence.
The workers later moved to Palayam and closed the Consumerfed outlet there and the one in Bakery Junction. Simultaneously, another group of Morcha workers forced the Bevco outlets to close at Kallambalam and Vattappara.
In a statement issued here, Yuva Morcha state office said that their workers were beaten up by the police when they tried to shut down the Bevco outlets in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kasargode and Kozhikode districts. Around 150 activists were arrested in different parts of the state, it said. Yuva Morcha state president P Sudheer said that they would intensify the agitation if the government did not shut down the Bevco outlets during Onam days.
Protests programmes will be organised against the police excesses on Yuva Morcha workers, he said.
Sudheer said if the government policy is to implement liquor ban, it should close down the Bevco units during Onam as it is during Onam days that brisk business takes place.