THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Secretariat march taken out by the Youth Congress on Thursday demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the wake of the recent allegations made by Nilambur MLA P V Anvar turned violent. YC state vice-president Abin Varkey and a dozen other protesters were injured in the police lathicharge.
The march led by YC state president Rahul Mamkoottathil began by 1pm and soon it turned into a street brawl as the police prevented the protesters who tried to jump the barricades and enter the Secretariat premises. The police tried to disperse the agitators using water cannons and when it did not yield any result, they lathicharged the protesters.
Abin was attacked by four cops, who beleaguered him and rained blows on him using lathis. Abin sustained injuries on his head but resisted attempts to shift him to the hospital. He took a stand that he will allow himself to be moved to the hospital only if Cantonment SI Jiju Kumar, who had allegedly targeted him, is removed from the scene. Flanked by activists Abin, who was bleeding from the wounds on his head, sat near the North Gate. However, Congress state president K Sudhakaran reached the spot soon and cajoled Abin to avail medical treatment. Finally, he was shifted to the hospital.
Sudhakaran warns cops
Meanwhile, Sudhakaran threatened the police of handling them personally in Kannur. CWC leader Ramesh Chennithala also said that they would pay the police back in the same coin. AICC general secretary in charge of the state, Deepa DasMunshi, called on Abin and other leaders at the hospital late on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, UDF convener M M Hassan inaugurated the protest in front of the Secretariat. Trouble started when Hassan was addressing the protesters where he urged Anvar to return to the UDF fold with his head held high. Hassan also asked Anvar to remain firm in his stand.
“The ACP kicked Rahul Mamkoottathil and Youth Congress Thiruvananthapuram district president Nemam Shajeer got injured in his eye. The clothes of a few women activists were also torn and they were brutally beaten. The police behaved as if they had gone mentally deranged,” said Sudhakaran.
“We have account of every policeman who led the attack. We know what to do with the policemen. As a former home minister, I hang my head in shame at the callousness of the police,” said Chennithala.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan also unleashed his tirade against the LDF government and the police. Satheesan, who was in Kochi, informed that the black mark left on the CM cannot be removed with the help of the policemen who owe allegiance to CPM.
“The ruling front need not expect that the protests can be suppressed. Instead, it will be spread across the state. The CM has been helping mafias to flourish. It was the Museum Police station official Jiju who beat up Rahul Mamkoottathil,” said Satheesan.
Rahul was remanded in judicial custody along with state vice-president V K Shibina, state general secretary Babithmon, state secretary Toufeeq and Kovalam constituency general secretary Haja. Abin has been admitted to a private hospital in Palayam with severe injuries to his head. A deep wound has been inflicted in the melee with the police and he has also got a hairline fracture on his left hand.
Four women YC state general secretaries Sajana B Sajan, Neethu Vijayan, B S Subija and V K Shibina, district secretaries Sumesh Vattaparambil and Poovakkad Sumesh have also been admitted to a private hospital.
RUCKUS IN KOTTAYAM, PATHANAMTHITTA TOO
KOTTAYAM/PATHANAMTHITTA: Youth Congress workers and the police had a minor clash during the youth outfit’s protest march in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta, demanding CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s resignation following the allegations by LDF MLA P V Anvar. The YC workers, who were marching to the respective SPs’ office, were blocked by the police. When the protesters tried to scale the barricades, the police used water cannons to disperse them. In Pathanamthitta, a few leaders were injured in the melee, while in Kottayam, the police arrested and removed the protesters, including YC district president Gauri Shankar and others.