Kerala - Kollam   

AIYF, AISF activists block NH in Kollam

— Photo: C. Suresh Kumar

Youth protest:Activists of the AIYF and the AISF who blocked the National Highway at Chinnakada in Kollam on Wednesday being arrested by the police.

KOLLAM: Protesting against the police lathicharge on the All India Students Federation (AISF) activists in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, activists of the AISF and the All India Youth Federation (AIYF) blocked the National Highway at Chinnakada here in the evening.

Traffic had to be diverted from the Taluk Office and Kappalandimukku junctions in view of the blockade. The AIYF and AISF activists shouted slogans against the United Democratic Front government, the alleged commercialisation of the education sector and the police.

As the blockade continued for about 30 minutes, a police team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police B. Krishnakumar reached the scene and arrested and removed the demonstrators. The police said that there were about 50 AIYF and AISF activists engaged in the blockade.

As traffic got resumed through the blocked portion of the National Highway, a group of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists marched to Chinnakada and blocked the highway registering protest against the police lathi-charge on Students Federation of India activists in Thiruvananthapuram, also on Wednesday.

The DYFI blockade lasted only 10 minutes. The police arrested and removed them following which traffic was resumed. All the demonstrators who were arrested were taken to the Kollam East police station and let off.

AIYF and AISF activists later blocked the Kollam-Thirumangalam National Highway at Punalur. Reports from Punalur said that about 200 demonstrators were involved in the blockade. Police reinforcements were rushed from here to meet the situation.

Following the blockade, a good number of vehicles, especially freight trucks from Tamil Nadu, were taking the Thenmala-Kulathupuzha road to reach Kollam.

In Pathanamthitta

Staff Reporter writes from Pathanamthitta: Activists of the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), and Students Federation of India (SFI) on Wednesday staged separate marches and dharnas in Pathanamthitta town in protest against the police action on student activists in Thiruvananthapuram.

Two Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses were damaged in stone-throwing by the protesters belonging to the DYFI. They blocked vehicular traffic at the Central Junction and traffic was disrupted for about two hours from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The protesters were removed by the police later.

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