Kerala Police has officially initiated legal proceedings by registering a case against prominent state Congress figures, including K Sudhakaran and VD Satheesan, in connection with the disturbances that unfolded in Thiruvananthapuram during the party's organized march to the DGP office.
The capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, bore witness to acts of violence on a Saturday as protests, orchestrated by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), escalated. The demonstration, which saw the participation of a cadre of senior Congress leaders in Kerala, led to a series of unfortunate incidents. Several distinguished MPs and MLAs from the Congress, grappling with the effects of tear gas fired by the police, experienced suffocation, and some even had to be hospitalized.
Providing insight into the legal ramifications, a senior police official from the district disclosed that the case had been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges include rioting, obstructing roads, and impeding public servants from carrying out their duties. The scope of the case extends beyond Sudhakaran and Satheesan to encompass other prominent figures such as Shashi Tharoor, Kodikkunnil Suresh, Adoor Prakash, K Muraleedharan, Jebi Mather, Ramesh Chennithala, and additional participants in the protest.
Describing the sequence of events leading to the altercation, the official recounted that the protesters became increasingly assertive, vigorously shaking barricades. In response, the police resorted to using water to disperse the crowd, a measure that seemingly agitated the demonstrators, leading to the hurling of stones. Subsequently, tear gas was deployed by law enforcement to restore order. Approximately 300-400 individuals took part in the protest, with no reported injuries, although a few journalists sustained injuries during the stone-pelting, although they have not yet lodged official complaints.
The protest, organized by the KPCC, aimed to highlight alleged instances of police excesses against party workers during their protests concerning the 'Nava Kerala Sadas' outreach program initiated by the Left government.
A particularly distressing incident occurred when a tear gas shell exploded near the stage where senior leaders were addressing the gathering, causing discomfort to several individuals, including Sudhakaran and Chennithala. Sudhakaran, in fact, required hospitalization in the aftermath.
In response to the events, the Congress and UDF leaders characterized the incident as a "premeditated attack" targeting their lives. Conversely, the ruling CPI(M) and LDF justified the police action, contending that it was the opposition party activists who had attempted to provoke and create disturbances. The incident has thus become a focal point of contention and disagreement between the political factions involved.
