Thiruvananthapuram: Muslim League Youth League state general secretary P K Firoz has been remanded to 14-day custody by the Vanchiyoor court on Monday.
Earlier in the day, he was arrested from Palayam here for the violence unleashed in the Secretariat march the outfit carried out on January 18. He is the first accused in the case. With his arrest, police have apprehended 29 Youth League activists in the case.
Firoz called the arrest a political vendetta. He said the organisation would fight the government that is trying to suppress the strike.
Reacting to Firoz's arrest, Muslim League State General Secretary P M A Salam said the government was playing with fire. "The Youth League members, who were protesting peacefully on January 18, were beaten up by the police. We will face this police action legally and democratically," he said.
Muslim Youth League State President Syed Munawarali Shihab Thangal said it was undemocratic to imprison those protesting against the administration that has adopted anti-people policies. "It is Fascism to eliminate opposing voices. Around 30 Youth League activists, who were arrested for the January 18 march, are still in remand. The government has filed false cases and imposed non-bailable clauses on them," Thangal said.
Meanwhile, the members of the Youth League blocked the Kozhikode-Kannur national highway in protest against Firoz's arrest. Mishab Keezhriyur, T P M Jishan led the protest. Police later arrested and removed those who were blocking the traffic.
