Thiruvananthapuram: The Youth Congress on Tuesday organised protests across the State against the abrupt arrest of their newly elected president Rahul Mamkoottathil. Protest marches were organised in Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Malappuram and Alappuzha.
Congress activists clashed with the police during a march to the Palakkad town police station and a march to the Alappuzha collectorate. Protesters blocked the National Highway in Kollam's Chandanathoppu and KP Road at Kayamkulam, Alappuzha. The police arrested the activists who blocked the National Highway at Kannur's Caltex Junction. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was burnt in effigy at Malappuram.
A police vehicle was blocked by Congress workers at Thiruvananthapuram Fort hospital where Rahul was brought for a medical check-up.
Meanwhile, Opposition leaders including VD Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala and MM Hassan lashed out at the Kerala government for resorting to vendetta politics on Tuesday following the arrest of Rahul Mamkoottathil in connection with the Secretariat protest march against Nava Kerala Sadas.
“Mamkoottathil is neither a traitor nor a terrorist to be arrested early in the morning after dragging him out of his bedroom. If Pinarayi Vijayan thinks these heinous acts would scare the Youth Congress and Congress workers, then he is mistaken. You just wait and watch; we will give you a befitting response,” said VD Satheesan.
"The police arrested Rahul after creating a terror-like situation at his home. This is unacceptable," said Shafi Parambil adding that the government was becoming increasingly intolerant towards protests. He also said that the Congress would organise protests against the arrest in all 14 districts of the state.
Congress leader Benny Behanan MP said that the arrest of Rahul Mamkoottathil is a heinous act on the part of the Pinarayi Vijayan government. Behnan asked if the police dared to arrest the opposition leader VD Satheesan, who is the first accused in the Youth Congress’s secretariat march case. Behanan was talking to media persons in Chalakkudy.
