Kerala: There was a heated clash between Congress workers and police during protests in the capital
Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress leadership strongly criticized the Chief Minister and the police for the brutal action during the Congress’ protest march to the state police headquarters.
The state capital Thiruvananthapuram witnessed incidents of violence during a protest organized by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on December 23, with several senior Kerala Congress leaders, including senior MPs and MLAs, facing suffocation and some being arrested by the police. Was also admitted to the hospital after the attack. Released tear gas shells.
After the police action, many senior Congress leaders including State Congress President K Sudhakaran were admitted to the hospital.
Sudhakaran leveled serious allegations against CM Pinarayi Vijayan and the police for firing eight rounds of tear gas at him and other senior leaders when they were at the temporary site on top of a mini van.
Sudhakaran has complained to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Parliament Privileges Committee.
He told TNIE that a major tragedy was averted as the tear gas fell close to the fuel tank of the mini van when a dozen senior Congress leaders were on the stage.
Sudhakaran is scheduled to leave for the US next week for medical treatment. His doctors advised him to stay away from dust. But an unexpected turn of events saw them trapped amidst smoke of tear gas and water cannons.
Nine MPs, twelve MLAs, several senior leaders and a large number of party workers participated in the protest.
“We are keen to know whether it was the Chief Minister or the DGP who directed the police to use tear gas and water cannon on us when opposition leader VD Satheesan had just started his speech. Usually, a tense situation is seen after the leaders leave the protest site. There is not even an iota of doubt that violence was deliberately inflicted upon us. I was told that several rounds of tear gas shells fell from the nearby Kerala Water Authority premises and Keltron premises,” Sudhakaran told this paper.
He also warned Pinarayi of a major disaster for him as he had earlier compared him to Adolf Hitler.
UDF convenors MM Hasan and Ramesh Chennithala alleged that there was a deliberate attempt by the police at the behest of the CM.
An agitated Tharoor said that the police unleashed violence without any provocation. “This is unfortunate. I have decided to raise police atrocities with the Privileges Committee of Parliament,” he said.
