Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Congress march turns violent

— Photo: C. Ratheesh kumar

Violent turn: Congress party workers overturning police barricades in front of the Secretariat in the city after a march to protest against the attack on Opposition leader Oommen Chandy in Kasaragod turned violent on Saturday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tense moments were witnessed on M.G. Road on Saturday with Congress workers who were taking out a march to the Secretariat protesting against the attack on Opposition leader Oommen Chandy trying to break the police cordon and pelting stones at vehicles.

The workers tried to break the police cordon in front of the Secretariat as soon as the march taken out by the DCC reached the main gate around 11.15 a.m. The workers succeeded in overturning the barricades put up by the police.

They raised slogans against Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and the police. With a section of the activists trying to break the police cordon and surge ahead, Congress leaders G. Karthikeyan, MLA, C. Mohanachandran, and DCC president V.S. Sivakumar had to intervene and pacify them.

Inaugurating the march, Mr. Kartikeyan said the attack on Mr. Chandy and disruption of the public meeting in Kasaragod on Friday were carried out by the CPI(M) without any provocation. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthandan had not bothered to condemn the incident, he added.

Soon after Mr. Kartikeyan and Mr. Sivakumar left the main gate, the workers tried to break the police cordon put up on Cantonment Road. They succeeded in overturning the barricades and tried to surge ahead.

Stones were also hurled at the police personnel and at the water cannon. Tense moments were witnessed with a section of workers hanging around and raising provocative slogans against the police. The leaders intervened and tried to calm down the workers.

A section of activists who were returning after the march towards the University College side pelted stones at private vehicles and tried to attack police vehicles near the AG’s office.

A KSRTC bus was damaged in the stone pelting at Spencer Junction. The Cantonment police have registered a case against seven persons in connection with the pelting of stones.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Showcasing State’s tourism products in Milan
Medicos stir off
Prepare for tough summer: Minister
VS to inaugurate cultural extravaganza
Meeting
Mourned
Vigilance probe into postings at temples
NREGS helps to increase agriculture productivity
Drive against use of motorcycles by minors
Moot court competition concludes
Antony visits new DCC building
CPI to fight against neglect of capital
Additional coaches
Congress march turns violent
Medicos call off strike
National workshop on Ayurveda therapy
Discharged from hospital
Make education scientific and democratic: Baby
In Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu