THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an early morning crackdown, the district administration with the help of the police dismantled the makeshift pandals and shacks put up in front of the Secretariat by various agitators. As many as five structures were demolished and removed by revenue authorities amid protests by agitators who were present at that time in their makeshift shacks. District Collector Biju Prabhakar had issued a directive to remove the pandals.
The RDO, led the demolition drive which began at around 7 a.m. A heavy police posse was deployed at the scene. The protestors here included Chengara protestors who were protesting here indefinitely since 800 days. “I have no address other than this samarapandal, as government is yet to give us land,” said Lalitha, a Chengara protester involved in the land struggle.
Other protestors here included one Sivadasan who has demanded two and half cent from the government. Apart from this, was one Sreejith who wanted a government job for his brother which was being delayed by procedural loops caused by authorities, the cantonment police said. Further, the flex boards of various parties on the steel footpath were also removed. A similar drive was held just before assembly elections.
Police said the eviction was carried out by the RDO because of continuous court orders from Lokayukta, Human Rights Commission among others as the pandals affect the thoroughfare of pedestrians. Earlier, pandals here have been linked to security concerns also as intelligence have often said that Maoist sympathisers frequent the area.
