Chengannur/Thiruvananthapuram: Protests against the laying of survey stones for K-Rail's SilverLine project continued unabated even as the Congress announced a statewide stir on Monday.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran will inaugurate the protest, which has 'No to K-Rail, Yes to Kerala' as its slogan, in front of the State secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram at 11 am on March 7.
The party will hold protests in front of Collectorates in other districts, the Congress said.
Meanwhile, local residents of Piralassery at Mulakkuzha in Chengannur came out in protest for the second consecutive day on Friday against the laying of survey stones demarcating the area that has to be acquired for the LDF government's prestigious Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram semi-high-speed SilverLine rail corridor.
One of the protestors doused himself in petrol and threatened to commit suicide if the authorities went ahead with stone laying plan. Police later arrested 16 protestors.
The incident was reported from south of Oorikkadavu, Piralassery. Local residents and K-Rail Virudha Janakeeya Samara Samithi (Anti-K-Rail protest council) activists led by district convenor Madhu Chengannur protested the laying of survey stones. BJP and Congress workers, too, joined the protestors.
During the protest, Reji of Kuzhiyil Poika, poured petrol on his body, and threatened to commit suicide. Police intervened and whisked him away.
The protestors uprooted the survey stone from a nearby property soon after the authorities had left. K-Rail workers later set it up again.
The residents alleged that the stones were laid close to several houses. They claimed that it would result in them losing their residences.
Despite the protest, authorities laid 13 stones on Friday, before calling it off as the opposition gained strength. Officials said they would continue the laying of stones on Saturday.
The Congress, while announcing the statewide protest, said senior leaders will inaugurate the stir in various districts. Opposition leader V D Satheesan will inaugurate the protest in Kollam, AICC general secretary Oommen Chandy in Kannur, former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala in Kozhikode, UDF convenor M M Hassan in Thrissur, KPCC working presidents Kodikkunnil Suresh in Ernakulam, T Siddique in Kasaragod, K Muraleedharan in Palakkad, and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan will inaugurate the protest in Palakkad.
KPCC vice-president V T Balaram will inaugurate the stir in Wayanad, while Rajmohan Unnithan will lead the protest in Malappuram.
Adoor Prakash, Dean Kuriakose and Anto Antony will inaugurate the protests in Alappuzha, Idukki and Pathanamthitta, respectively.
