Kottayam: The United Democratic Front (UDF) declared a dawn to dusk harthal in Idukki district on Friday protesting against the police attack on activists of the Kerala Students Union ( KSU). The police lathi-charged those in the march undertaken by the student activists to the Thodupuzha police station protesting against the MBBS fees hike in self-financing colleges on Thursday afternoon. Many activists of the KSU and the Congress party were injured in the lathi charge.
Those sustaining head injuries include Thodupuzha Block Congress Committee President Jafar Khan Muhammad, DCC general secretary Geo Mathew, KSU district President Tony Thomas and former KSU district President Niyas Kuropally. The march was stopped by the police before it reached the police station. Idukki DCC President Ibrahim Kitty Kallar demanded a judicial probe into the police attack. Meanwhile, ABVP has called a state-wide strike on Friday over the alleged police brutality on students who were agitating against the hike in medical fee in capital. The student organisation alleged that the police brutally lathicharged its members who were protesting in front of the secretariat on Thursday.
