Congress-CPM Student Youth Wings Clash in Kerala Capital
The Youth Congress had organised a march demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Thiruvananthapuram:Just hours after Congress and CPM leaders united in Delhi for a nationwide protest against Vote Chori, their student and youth wings clashed violently on the streets of Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday night.
The city remained tense for a couple of hours as Youth Congress-KSU activists and SFI-DYFI members faced off across the city.
The Youth Congress had organised a march demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Youth Congress and KSU activists alleged that stones were pelted on their march from inside the University College hostel. This prompted a counter stone-pelting from the Youth Congress workers.
Some workers jumped over the wall, destroying flex boards and posters. The confrontation later spread to the University Hostel at Palayam, disrupting normal traffic as the violence spread on to the streets.
As the situation spiralled out of control, police entered the hostel premises and used force against the students. SFI leaders claimed that police used brute force against peaceful students inside the hostel.
As violence intensified, Opposition Leader and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan arrived at the clash site. Other senior leaders, including CPM central committee members P.K. Sreemathy, Shailaja Teacher, and former Minister V. Sivankutty, also came to prevent further escalation. Later, SFI and DYFI organised protest marches at various places in the city, prompting increased security measures.
"It was a planned attack on the SFI activists. The Youth Congress workers unleashed unilateral violence. Even those injured were not spared as they were prevented from even being taken to hospital. This is unacceptable. State-wide protests will be organised against the Youth Congress violence and brute force used by police against students," said Pinarayi Vijayan.
Congress MLA Abin Varkey accused the SFI of throwing stones at the peaceful march organised by the Youth Congress demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. "Why did the SFI resort to such provocative action? This kind of unilateral violence cannot be permitted. They are trying to create law and order problems in the state," he added.
