THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP and CPM workers clashed in front of the Secretariat on Wednesday leading to hours of tension and violence.

The BJP has been staging a protest in front of the Secretariat for the past three weeks. On Wednesday, around 11.30 am, BJP workers belonging to the Manacaud unit took out a march to the party's protest venue after two women in their early 40s entered the Sabarimala temple.

The marching workers tore the flex boards in front of the Left trade unions' office near the Secretariat, and also manhandled five media persons who were covering the protest.

Meanwhile, six district-level women leaders of the BJP sneaked into the Secretariat. However, they were held from near the Chief Minister's office. The Cantonment Police took them to the station only to be sent back on bail hours after.

CPM leaders Anavoor Nagappan and V Sivankutty reached the spot about 12.20 p.m. BJP workers shouted slogans at them. The leaders blamed the BJP leaders for igniting tension. Violence erupted about an hour after the leaders left.

A group of around 40 CPM workers who assembled near the BJP's protest venue destroyed the flex boards of the BJP. The BJP too responded in kind and both the groups set fire to the materials on the road. Both the teams also set fire to each other's flag which were erected near the Secretariat.

Minutes after, both the groups started pelting stones at each other which lasted for over an hour. A policeman identified as Shibu was seriously injured in the stone pelting. Police fired tear gas shells and applied water cannon to disperse the clashing workers. It took about six firings for the tension to subside.

In the evening, the six women leaders who were let off by the police were given a reception at the BJP's protest venue. Vehicular traffic was allowed on the road in front of the Secretariat only in the evening.

Violence erupted at several parts of the capital district, including neyyattinkara, Kallikkad, Thirumala and Malayinkeezhu. Workers burnt used tyres on the road at Neyyattinkara and Thirumala. Traffic was blocked at Malayinkeezhu and Kallikadu.

KSRTC buses were stone-pelted at several places including Neyyattinkara, Powdikonam and Vedivechankovil.

About 20 BJP workers who were injured in the police action were admitted to the Neyyattinkara government hospital.