Violent protests mark culmination of Kerala govt's mass outreach event, Congress alleges 'planned attack' on party leaders

Thiruvananthapuram: Violent protests marked the culmination of the 36 day-long mass outreach programme here on Saturday which saw many Congress state leaders and MPs suffering breathing discomforts following teargas shell firing by police at a protest march and the party alleged that it was a planned attempt to endanger its leaders. A group of agitators of the Revolutionary Youth Front staged a protest near the chief minister's office inside the government secretariat.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan later lashed out at Congress, accusing the party leadership of giving out call for violence.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee had organised the march to the state police headquarters to protest against the recent police action on Youth Congress leaders who waved black flags at Vijayan. KPCC president and Lok Sabha MP K Sudhakaran, opposition leader V D Satheesan and other senior leaders led the march. After the police blocked the march with barricades, the leaders addressed the march.

Subsequently the police fired teargas and used water cannons against the agitators. Some teargas shells fell close to the leaders causing breathing discomforts to many including Sudhakaran, opposition leader V D Satheesan and former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and they were rushed to a nearby hospital.

Congress workers later clashed with the police.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was also participating in the march, alleged that it was a planned attack targeting the party leaders.

"The police fired teargas shells and water canons without any provocation. No warnings were also given prior to that," Tharoor alleged.

Protesting against the incident, Congress staged demonstrations across the state. Banners and posters of Nava Kerala Sadas were destroyed. Former CM Oommen Chandy's son and MLA Chandy Oommen staged a protest by standing on the road wearing black dress as CM Vijayan passed by. A section of youth activists of RSP, which is a coalition partner of Congress, entered the highly secured government secretariat premises and shouted slogans against the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the state government suffered an embarrassment as a local court in Alappuzha ordered the police to register case against CM's security officials who beat up Congress workers held by police for showing black flag to the chief minister at Alappuzha recently. The direction was given on the basis of a petition given by a Congress activist.

The Nava Kerala Sadas began from Kasargod in the north on November 18. The Chief Minister and ministers traveled across the state interacting with 'prominent personalities' from 140 assembly constituencies. Public could also give petitions at all venues. A 45 day time limit was prescribed to settle the petitions.