Kerala Youth Congress protests continue against arrest of its state president

The arrest has deepened the rift between Kerala’s ruling CPI(M) and the Congress in the Opposition.

He was arrested from his residence in the Pathanamthitta district and was subsequently remanded in judicial custody till 22 January.

According to the remand report, Mamkootathil was arrested based on a tip-off.

Also read: Kerala Congress intensifies attack over Youth Congress chief arrest

The protests

The YC protest marches in the Kasaragod and Alappuzha districts of the state resulted in the use of barricades and water cannons by the police to prevent the protestors from reaching their intended destinations.

In the northern Kerala district of Kasaragod, YC activists held a protest march to the office of the Kanhangad RDO but were stopped from reaching there by police barricades.

As the activists tried to bring down the barricades, the police resorted to the use of water cannons to disperse the protestors.

However, the protestors dispersed only after bringing down the barricades set up by the police.

In the coastal district of Alappuzha, where YC activists held a march to the collectorate, the protest turned violent with police resorting to lathi-charge to disperse the protestors.

Police used water cannons and then resorted to lathi charges following the breach of the barricades and stone pelting allegedly by the protestors.

Visuals of the protest showed YC activists, including women, lying injured on the ground following the police lathi charge.

The YC activists claimed they were beaten mercilessly by the police without any provocation. They also alleged that women activists were beaten by male police personnel. Subsequently, they dispersed from the area.

Also Read: Kerala Youth Congress chief Rahul Mamkootathil arrested

Police contentions

According to the police report, leaders, including Rahul Mamkootathil, and around 300 Youth Congress workers protested in front of the secretariat with flags and wood logs in their hands, and obstructed officers from performing their duties.

The activists damaged fibre shields, helmets, and fibre lathis, police said, causing a loss of ₹50,000.

In the melee, Poojappura Police Station’s Station House Officer (SHO) Raj’s hand was fractured. Three officers of the Industrial Security Force guarding the secretariat were seriously injured.

The police also released the video of the Youth Congress activists breaking lathis and shields.

A court had rejected his bail plea and remanded him to judicial custody.

According to the remand report, the Youth Congress state president is a suspect in two additional cases that the Cantonment Police have opened.

Besides him, the police had registered a case against Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly (LoP) VD Satheesan, making him the first accused in the case of the violence during the secretariat march.

The Congress leader was charged under non-bailable sections of the IPC for allegedly attacking the police and participating in the destruction of public property during the march on 21 December.

Around 300 Youth Congress activists, including Rahul, former president Shafi Parambil (MLA), and M Vincent (MLA), have also been implicated in the incident.

Vendetta, animosity

The Congress alleged that, through the arrest, Vijayan was settling his animosity and personal vendetta against Mamkootathil for criticising him and his government through the media.

After visiting Mamkootathil at the Central Prison, where he was remanded to 14 days in judicial custody, senior party leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, VD Satheesan, stated that the party would persist in its fight until Vijayan was ousted from power.

The arrest of Mamkootathil in front of his mother and sister, after trespassing into their house, was the latest example of how the Vijayan government was treating young people who stage democratic protests, he alleged.

Hitting hard at the CM, Satheesan further charged that Vijayan’s “call for riot” was the cause of all violence and assaults during the time of the “Nava Kerala Sadas,” the recently concluded outreach programme of the state government.

The Congress argued that if a case were to be registered against anyone for inciting violence, it should have been initiated against Chief Minister Vijayan.

(With PTI inputs)