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15 activists hurt in baton-charge in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, 6 cops injured
The secretariat has been witnessing a series of protests for more than two weeks over the delay in recruiting job aspirants who figured in the public service commission merit list and alleged back door appointments in many government departments.
Nearly 15 youth activists, including women, were injured on Thursday after the police resorted to baton-charge on protesting workers of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Congress, outside the state secretariat. Women activists later alleged that they were brutalized by policemen ignoring all norms. Six policemen were also injured in the clashes.
The Kerala secretariat turned into a battle ground for many hours after police and youth activists clashed. KSU activists came to greet two fasting Congress legislators, K S Sabarinathan and Shafi Parambhil, but their rally turned violent after they broke barriers and tried to enter the secretariat. Police resorted to lathi-charge when efforts to dissuade them failed. KSU state president K B Abhijith and Secretary Sneha Nair were among the injured.
The secretariat has been witnessing a series of protests for more than two weeks over the delay in recruiting job aspirants who figured in the public service commission merit list and alleged back door appointments in many government departments. On Thursday, many national games medal winners tonsured their heads protesting the government’s failure in giving them jobs. After the national games, the government had offered jobs to them and sports minister E P Jayarajan had held a big function to felicitate them.
“The state has never seen such an insensitive CM. Youngsters were brutally attacked by police. And some of the policemen were not even carrying their badges or name plate. Pinarayi Vijayan is trying to enact Nandigram in Kerala which led to the fall of the last CPI (M) government in West Bengal,” said Youth Congress state president Shafi Parambhil who has been on a fast for the last six days in support of agitating job aspirants.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, however, justified the police action. “Police resorted to lathi-charge when they were attacked. The Congress is trying to create mayhem by unleashing violence,” he said.
