THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ABVP activists took out a march to the corporation office on Friday, demanding the Mayor’s resignation over allegations that the main gate of SMV Government Model HSS was relocated to facilitate a bar licence.
The protest, which began at 12.30pm from Martyrs’ Square in Palayam, turned chaotic when protestors tried to jump the boundary wall. Police used water cannons twice to disperse them, followed by lathi charges when protestors breached the barricades. Arrested protestors were later released.
Speaking at the protest, ABVP state secretary E U Eshwaraprasad accused SFI and DYFI of shielding the mayor and warned of retaliation if ABVP was suppressed. He also called for an investigation into allegations that the mayor accepted bribes for permitting the bar licence.
The corporation had halted construction of the new school gate following the protests. “The project was initiated in 2020 and delayed multiple times,” said High school head of SMV School, Rani Vidyadharan.