THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Peroorkada police arrested 19 BJP workers, including Dalit Morcha state president P Sudheer, in connection with the violence during the BJP protest on Tuesday.
The arrested were booked under Sections 143, 147, 148, 149, 188, 283 and 332 of the IPC, which pertained to various offences including unlawful assembly, rioting, and voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from discharging his duty. According to the police, they were produced before the magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.
Condemning the police action, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan told ‘Express’ the injured BJP workers were denied medical assistance and it was a serious lapse on the part of the police. He added that the BJP state leadership had raised the issue with the State Police Chief Loknath Behera. He also said the police action was spontaneous and the officers concerned should be suspended from service .
Speaking to media persons after visiting V Muraleedharan, whose hunger protest at the Kerala Law Academy entered the seventh day on Tuesday, Kummanam said the police used excessive force. Over 20 people, including state general secretary K Surendran were injured. The police should clarify what was the provocation for the lathicharge,” he said.