THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a successful month-long outreach programme, the Alappuzha South Police registered a case against members of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s security detail, on Sunday, for assaulting two student activists.
The students were identified as part of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Congress in Kerala. The events unfolded following a protest with black flags against a ‘Nava Kerala Sadas’ outreach programme bus.
The case was registered following a directive passed by a magistrate court in the district.
The accused have been identified as Vijayan’s gunmen, Anil Kumar and S Sandeep.
FLASH : PMO takes stock of the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Tamil Nadu
High Level meeting was held today in the PMO to take stock of the post-flood situation in #TamilNadu and supporting the state in this situation.
Officers of the #PMO interact with officials in Tamil…
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 24, 2023
Earlier, the Youth Congress and the KSU had taken to the streets to protest against the security personnel for manhandling the students. Furthermore, the students had accused them of high-handedness when the CM’s cavalcade was moving across the busy streets. The protest went underway when the CM and his Cabinet ministers were en route to the programme’s venue in the Kayamukulam Assembly constituency on December 15.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K Sudhakaran has demanded a HIgh Court directed investigation into allegations of assault on Congress leaders.
“We will appeal for an HC monitored probe headed by a retired judge over the brutal attack against the Congress activists and leaders by the police officials who were making way for the bus carrying CM Vijayan and the council of ministers. CM Vijayan is behaving like a psychopath who is showing the characters of an autocrat,” said K Sudhakaran while addressing the press in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Kerala Congress announced that they would set about on a protest on December 29.
The final day of the outreach programme in Thiruvananthapuram witnessed massive protests by various youth and student organizations of the Congress and the BJP. Both demanding the arrest of the police personnel and the CM’s security officials.
The DMK, a party of M Karunanidhi, believes in social justice. If a member of their party has said something like that about the people of #UP and #Bihar, then that is condemnable, and we don’t agree with such remarks,” says Bihar Deputy CM tejashwi yadav on DMK MP Dayanidhi… pic.twitter.com/DxaU2x2Hor
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 24, 2023
However, CM Vijayan hit out at the state Opposition as well as the Central government during the final day of the outreach programme. He said that both the opposition Congress and the Centre is attempting to block development programmes in the state.
“The huge cut in Central funds is hampering the state’s development prospects. The Congress and the UDF are not concerned about this. But the people supported the Nava Kerala Sadas. The people are awakened. All the meetings had huge participation and the Cabinet’s journey was well received. We thank the people for their support,” he said at the programme on Saturday.