The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Raj Bhavan march disrupts traffic

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Thursday, Jun 19, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Raj Bhavan march disrupts traffic

Staff Reporter

Coincides with the completion of 125 days of agitation

Barricades erected close to the Raj Bhavan gates
LDF convener blames Centre for delay

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Traffic along the busy Vellayambalam-Kowdiar stretch was disrupted for several hours on Wednesday morning as hundreds of slogan shouting protestors marched towards the Raj Bhavan behind a banner demanding the setting up of a High Court Bench in the capital city.

The march, which began from the Asan Square in Palayam at 11 a.m. and led by senior lawyers, politicians and advocates clerks, was stopped by the police close to gates of the Raj Bhavan at Vellayamballam.

Following this the protestors carrying placards in English and Malayalam resorted to a sit-in by squatting on either stretch of the arterial road awaiting to be addressed by the leaders owing allegiance to various political parties including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Siva Sena and the High Court Bench Samara Sahaya Samithi that organised the march.

The march coincides with the completion of 125-days of indefinite-Satyagraha which the members of the Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association are currently holding in front of the Vanchiyoor court complex, demanding the constitution of the Bench.

Vaikkom Viswan, convener of the ruling Left Democratic Front, who inaugurated the demonstration, blamed the Central government for delaying the process, despite necessary steps taken by the State government for its constitution. “The State government has already apprised the President and the Central government about the demand. Now the decision has to be taken by the Central government,” he said.

C.K. Sitaram, president, bar association, said that the association has decided to call off the boycott of legal proceedings conducted by its members in protest against the deployment of police personnel’s inside the court premises from Thursday. The march was also addressed by Pannian Ravindran, MP, V. Sivankutty MLA, C. Jayan Babu, Mayor and M.S. Bhuvanachandran, Siva Sena leader.

Meanwhile, the District Congress Committee (DCC) has accused the LDF government of hoodwinking the public on its commitment to the establishment of a High Court Bench in the State capital. DCC president V.S.Sivakumar said that the decision of the State Cabinet to submit a formal application to the Union government belied the government’s claim that it had completed all the formalities.

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