Kochi: Communist Party of India (CPI) leaders, including Muvattupuzha MLA Eldho Abraham, were injured as the police baton-charged the party workers, who took out a protest march to the Kochi range IG office in Ernakulam on Tuesday over a campus row.
The MLA fractured his hand and sought treatment at the Ernakulam general hospital. CPI district secretary P Raju also suffered injuries to his head.
Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan, also of the CPI, met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and conveyed the anguish over the Ernakulam cops' action.
The CPI leadership has sought action against the police personnel who assaulted MLAs and leaders.
The CM has asked Ernakulam collector S Suhas, who is also the district magistrate, to probe the incident and submit a report.
Cops, including ACP Lalji and centre station SI Vipin Das, were also injured. They have been admitted to the general hospital.
The CPI and CPM are part of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala.
Protest over campus violence
The CPI held the protest march, alleging that the Njarakkal CI did not take action over the SFI-AISF clash at a college in Vypin. The CPI district secretary, who came to visit the injured workers in the clash, was stopped by the DYFI workers.
The CPI alleged that the CI's actions were biased. It was also alleged that the cops did not take the statement of the injured AISF workers and acted in favour of the assailants.
The CPI workers assembled around 11am on Tuesday, seeking action against the CI who allegedly aided the SFI workers. The police set up a barricade ahead of the IG office to stall the march. However, just before the march ended, a section of the workers got agitated and pulled down the barricade. The police then used water cannons to disperse the agitators.
Eldho Abraham MLA alleged that the SFI workers were acting as goons and the police were aiding them in their actions.
"The cops attacked us without any provocation. The CPI would be in the forefront of rectifying the mistakes in the front," he added.