Youth Congress march to Cliff House turns violent; activists, cops hurt
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Youth Congress’ march towards the Cliff House, the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in protest against excessive police action against its workers amid demonstrations against the proposed tax hike, turned violent on Wednesday.
The activists were wearing black shirts as a symbolic protest as the police had earlier barred people from wearing clothes and accessories of that colour at venues where the chief minister attends or near his convoy.
After the activists, numbering around 100, arrived near the Devaswom Board Junction around 12.45pm, the march turned violent. When protesters attempted to push and topple the police barricade at the Devaswom Board Junction, the police had to use water cannons, tear gas, and even grenades to disperse them. The dispersed activists later returned and clashed with the police. An activist was injured by a grenade shell.
During the lathi charge, the policeman who was caught between the activists was surrounded and beaten by the activists. The police and activists clashed several times, and the standoff remained for an hour.
When the policeman got hit, the other police officers got angry and retaliated by beating the activists.
Meanwhile, the Youth Congress workers tried destroying the flags on the roadside. When the police stopped this, the conflict broke out again. The activists pulled off the policeman’s helmet and threw it away. Later, senior police officials intervened and calmed the scene by pushing back both groups.
The activists again gathered in front of the barricade and shouted slogans. Meanwhile, a scuffle broke out between the activists and the police near the traffic island. Police officers again intervened and calmed the scene. After this, the workers retreated. Trying to tear the flex boards along the way caused a minor scuffle.
Considering the possibility of conflict, the police made elaborate security arrangements. A barricade was erected on the road leading to the main entrance of Cliff House, and police officers deployed. On the other three roads leading to the Devaswom Board Junction, policemen were stationed 50 metres apart. A total of 11 activists and three policemen were injured. They are under treatment at various hospitals in the city.
The Museum police have registered a case in connection with the incident against all the activists. They have been booked under Sections 143, 147, 148, 149, 188, 283 and 332 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertained to various offences, including unlawful assembly, rioting, and voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servants from discharging their duty. However, no arrests have been recorded, the police said.