Kochi: The protest march organized by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) towards the state police headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram turned violent on Saturday (23rd December). The demonstration was in response to the alleged police highhandedness against Youth Congress activists during Nava Kerala Sadas. Senior Congress leaders and activists clashed with the police, prompting law enforcement to use water cannons and tear gas shells. Numerous Congress members participating in the protest were subsequently hospitalized.

KPCC President K Sudhakaran, opposition leader VD Satheesan, former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, and MPs, including Shashi Tharoor, along with other MLAs, were among those affected by the tear gas and water cannon tactics used by the police. The leaders experienced breathlessness and eye pain due to the tear gas attack and were taken to Sree Rama Krishna Mission Hospital at Sasthamangalam for treatment. Anwar Sadhath MLA, Jeby Mather MP, and Chandy Oommen were also reported to be hospitalized.

The incident unfolded when the protesters, led by Sudhakaran and Satheesan, reached Althara junction, where police had set up barricades. As Satheesan began speaking, some activists attempted to push through the barricades, leading the police to respond with water cannons. The situation escalated as protesters retaliated by pelting stones, prompting the police to fire tear gas shells multiple times.

Shashi Tharoor, Thiruvananthapuram MP, condemned the police action, stating, “There are some protocols for using water cannons and tear gas shells. The police have violated this. I have called the DGP. He told me that he was unaware and would take prompt action. I will point this out in Parliament in the coming session. I still have the burning sensation on my face due to the shell attack.”

Echoing Tharoor’s sentiments, MP Kodikunnil Suresh also condemned the police’s actions, describing them as premeditated and unprovoked. K Sudhakaran, from the hospital, accused the ‘police goons’ of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of instigating the violence. Congress MP K Muraleedharan attributed the attack to the desperation of Pinarayi Vijayan over the failure of the Nava Kerala Sadas.

In his statement, VD Satheesan criticized the police’s actions as unprecedented and directed by the Chief Minister, alleging that the police force was being controlled by certain individuals in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Following the incident, Congress leaders staged a sit-in in front of the KPCC office at Vellayambalam for approximately half an hour. As the protest unfolded, Congress workers clashed with the police and blocked main roads, leading to tense situations in the city.

Notably, the leftist parties, which currently govern the state, are constituents of the INDIA alliance, spearheaded by the Congress at a national level. This coalition has positioned itself as a significant contender against Narendra Modi’s BJP-led NDA in the forthcoming 2024 general elections. However, the recent events in Kerala, where these alliance partners are in direct conflict, underline the intricate and often contradictory nature of the INDIA alliance, raising questions about the coherence and unity within the alliance as it prepares to take on the BJP in the national electoral arena.

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