ABVP’s protest march turns violent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  A Secretariat march taken out by ABVP activists in protest against the state government’s decision to implement Khader Commission report, turned violent leading to lathicharge and bursting of teargas shells by police to disperse the agitators here on Monday. 

Nine ABVP workers have been injured in the melee and they are undergoing treatment at General Hospital. The Cantonment police have registered a case. According to the police, the ABVP activists started pelting stones at the police when they tried to block the march near the Cantonment gate of the Secretariat around 11.30 am. The police then resorted to lathicharge. 

Water cannons and tear gas shells were also used to disperse the protestors numbering around a hundred.
The protestors have been booked under Sections 143, 147, 148, 149, 188, 283 and 332 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertained to various offences, including unlawful assembly, rioting, and voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from discharging his duty. Meanwhile, the state committee of ABVP announced statewide strike on Tuesday against the police action.