The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Youth Congress chief hospitalised amidst clashes

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Thursday, Jul 17, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Youth Congress chief hospitalised amidst clashes

Staff Reporter

Activists, policemen and mediapersons injured in clash

— Photo: S. Mahinsha

Improvised weapons: Youth Congress workers throwing plastic chairs and poles at the police during a confrontation in front of the Secretariat on Wednesday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Youth Congress State president T. Siddique who was on an indefinite fast in front of Secretariat for the last eight days was arrested and shifted to the medical college hospital on Wednesday afternoon amidst clashes between Youth Congress activists and the police.

Four Youth Congress activists, including district chief P. Prasanth, three camerapersons and several policemen were injured in the stone-throwing and lathi-charge. Four government cars and over half-a-dozen shops and business establishments were damaged in the stone-throwing.

The clashes erupted around 1 p.m. after Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala left the pandal where Mr. Siddique was undertaking the fast demanding withdrawal of the controversial Class VII Social Science textbook, among other things.

Around this time, the Youth Congress activists who were standing on M.G. Road in front of the pandal attacked a van belonging to the Department of Health. Later, they attacked two more vehicles. Stones were hurled at the Kairali showroom, the Kerala Agricultural and Rural Development Bank and several shops.

The activists hurled stones at the police contingent that was stationed in front of the main gate. With things turning out of control, the police resorted to lathi-charge.

Four activists, including Mr. Prasanth, were injured in the police action in front of the pandal. Titus, cameraman for Asianet, was injured in police action while Abilash and Rajesh of Amritha TV were injured in the stone-throwing. The police water cannon was deployed against the activists.

Congress leaders intervened to bring the situation under control. The police force was withdrawn from the area to ease tension. Around 2 p.m., Mr. Oommen Chandy and other UDF leaders who had gone for talks with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and Education Minister M.A. Baby returned to the pandal.

Mr. Chandy announced that the talks had failed and they had decided to continue with the agitation. Since doctors had said that Mr. Siddique’s health condition was deteriorating, Mr. Chandy said the Youth Congress chief had decided to court arrest.

The Congress leaders, after talks with City Police Commissioner Ravada A. Chandrasekhar, decided to shift Mr. Siddique to hospital immediately.

Mr. Siddique was taken in a stretcher to the police ambulance around 2.30 p.m. Mr. Siddique who continued the fast at the medical college hospital later called off the fast at the request of Mr. Chennithala.

Around this time, cars belonging to the Centre for Earth Science Studies and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan were attacked near the District Congress Committee office at Nandavanam. A car belonging to the Sports Council was stoned near the Vanross junction.

The Cantonment police have registered a case in connection with the attack on vehicles and another case against 200-odd Youth Congress activists for attacking the police.

The Youth Congress has announced that it will observe Thursday as ‘protest day’ in protest against the police action on its workers in front of the Secretariat. Demonstrations would be held in all Assembly constituencies. It would also stage half-an-hour blockade in all the Assembly constituencies on July 19.

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