THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress leadership came down heavily on the chief minister and the police for the brutal action during the Congress protest march to the state police headquarters. Many senior Congress leaders, including Congress state president K Sudhakaran, were hospitalised following the police action.
Sudhakaran cast serious aspersions against CM Pinarayi Vijayan and the police for hurling eight rounds of tear gas at him and other senior leaders, when they were at the makeshift venue atop a mini-van.
Sudhakaran has shot off complaints to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Parliament Privilege Committee. He told TNIE that a major mishap was averted as the tear gas fell close to the fuel tank of the mini-van when a dozen senior Congress leaders were on the podium.
Sudhakaran is scheduled to leave for the US for medical treatment next week. He had been advised by his doctors to stay away from dust. But the unexpected turn of events saw him getting caught amid the fumes of tear gas and water cannons.
“We are keen to know whether it was the Chief Minister or the DGP who had directed the police to hurl tear gas and also charge water cannons at us when Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan had just begun his speech,” Sudhakaran told TNIE.
The protest march led by K Sudhakaran and opposition leader VD Satheesan began at 11 am and reached Althara around 11.30 am. The police had erected barricades at Althara junction. The Congress leadership had set up a protest venue at Althara Junction for the public function.
It was KPCC chief K Sudhakaran who inaugurated the function. When Satheesan started his speech, some activists attempted to push the police barricades. This prompted the police to use water cannons. In retaliation, the activists pelted stones at the police, and the police hurled tear gas shells eight times. Soon, many activists turned back and ran away. The leaders who were on the protest stage suffered breathlessness and eye pain.
Following the tear gas attack, the activists shifted the leaders, including Sudhakaran, to the Sree Rama Krishna Mission Hospital at Sasthamangalam.
As per reports, Anwar Sadhath MLA, Jeby Mather MP, and Chandy Oommen are currently at the hospital. However, the activists continued to remain at the spot. Later, leaders like M. Liju and M Vincent came and dispersed the protesters.
MPs Kodikunnil Suresh and Shashi Tharoor strongly condemned the police action. They said that the police attack was premeditated and that it was without any provocation.
"There are some protocols for using water cannons and tear gas shells. The police have violated this. I have called the DGP. He told me that he was unaware and would take prompt action. I will point this out in Parliament in the coming session. I still have the burning sensation on my face due to the shell attack," Tharoor said.
Speaking to the media at the hospital, K Sudhakaran said 'police goons' of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were behind the violence. According to K Muraleedharan MP, the attack was out of desperation by Pinarayi Vijayan due to the failure of the Nava Kerala Sadas.
The Congress leaders later staged a sit-in in front of the KPCC office at Vellayambalam for around half an hour.
(With inputs from PTI)