Protests across Kerala demanding Pinarayi’s resignation

Both Muslim Youth League and Yuva Morcha took out protests to Kozhikode Collectorate.
(Left) Police lathicharging a Yuva Morcha activist during a protest march to the Kozhikode collectorate demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday  | Manu R Mavelil
(Left) Police lathicharging a Yuva Morcha activist during a protest march to the Kozhikode collectorate demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday | Manu R Mavelil

T’PURAM/KOZHIKODE: Youth wings of Congress, Muslim League and BJP take out marches, Police use teargas, water cannons to disperse protesters, Several party workers, police personnel injured in clashes, CPM alleges protests part of move to destabilise govt

As Opposition UDF and BJP intensified protests against the government over the gold smuggling case, Kerala on Friday witnessed violent agitations across the state demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. A slew of outfits, including the Youth League, Youth Congress and Yuva Morcha, took out protests across the state. The police used grenades and water cannons to disperse protesters near the Kozhikode Collectorate. In Kannur, Youth Congress march to the chief minister’s house turned violent. The CPM leadership meanwhile hit out against violent protests and alleged that the protests were part of a move to destabilise the government.

Both Muslim Youth League and Yuva Morcha took out protests to Kozhikode Collectorate. Police had to use tear gas and water cannons to clear the protesters who marched towards the collectorate by breaking the barricades. A total of 18 Yuva Morcha workers and 15 Youth League workers including its state general secretary P K Firoz were injured. Yuva Morcha state president C R Praful Krishnan, state secretary K Anoop, district president T Raneesh and four mediapersons were among the injured.

Police forcibly removing Youth League workers
during a protest marchin Kozhikode on Friday | Express

After the march taken out by Youth Congress to the CM’s house at Pinarayi in Kannur turned violent, the police registered cases against 115 persons, including K Sudhakaran, MP, and Shafi Parambil, MLA, for organising a march by violating the Covid protocol.The Youth Congress workers marched to the house of Pinarayi Vijayan at Pandyala Mukku in Pinarayi.

The police blocked the march at Padinjittam Muri, one kilometre away from the house by putting up barricades. As the workers tried to break the barricades, police used tear gas and water cannons. The workers clashed with the police and pelted stones at them. Six Youth Congress workers and four police personnel were injured in the incident.The Muslim Youth League workers took out a protest march to Malappuram collectorate while another protest was staged in front of Wayanad Collectorate. 

In Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, Yuva Morcha workers took out protest to the office of Sandeep Nair, one of the accused in the smuggling case.Meanwhile the CPM leadership has hit out against violent protests taken out by Opposition parties demanding the chief minister’s resignation in the gold smuggling case. Viewing it as a challenge against human lives, the CPM alleged that the protests were part of a move to destabilise the government.In a statement here, the CPM state secretariat pointed out that the LDF and the chief minister want the culprits in the smuggling case to be brought before the law. That’s why the chief minister demanded an investigation at the earliest and NIA has already begun the probe. The Left government will not protect anyone involved in smuggling, reiterated the CPM.

“With its four-year rule till date, it has always been evident to the masses that the Chief Minister’s Office represents the state’s dignity. The protest to weaken the Left government - which has made Kerala a model for the world in Covid control - are simply parochial political moves with power-hungry motives. Such violent protests by throwing Covid protocol to wind amounts to playing with human lives,” the party said.
The CPM alleged that the UDF and the BJP are moving ahead with an ill-motive to defame the chief minister and the Left government. People are against such anarchist forms of protests. 

As directed by the Centre, the NIA has already started its investigation. The UDF and BJP are afraid that many of them could get trapped if the probe moves in the right direction. It should be suspected whether the agitations are aimed at sabotaging the investigation, the party mused.

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