Protest marches by Congress workers alleging ‘goonda raj’ by LDF government end up in scuffles with police in Kozhikode

Congress workers protest "goonda raj" in Kozhikode, scuffles with police ensue.

The police station marches taken out by Congress workers alleging ‘goonda raj’ by the Left Democratic Front-led government ended up in open scuffles with the police at Mukkom and Beypore in Kozhikode district on Wednesday.

The protesters locked horns with the police as they were blocked midway citing security issues.

At Beypore, a local Congress leader sustained minor injuries while he was attempting to cross the police barricade. The injured person, however, claimed that he was purposefully attacked by a police officer using lathi.

State and national highways remained blocked on several stretches in the morning as protesters refused to cooperate with the police. At Mukkom, the irate Congress workers created a blockade on the Koyilandy-Edavanna State highway for over an hour.

District Congress Committee president K. Praveenkumar, who opened the district-level protest near the Nadakkavu police station, alleged that the State was witnessing “goonda menace” in the name of the Navakerala Sadas. He said Congress workers would be compelled to face it on the streets if the police continued with their assaults and support to goons.

Mr. Praveenkumar said the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] had no right to justify its agitations against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan at a time when it was trying to suppress black flag protests by UDF workers against the ongoing Navakerala Sadas. He added that police officers who colluded with CPI(M) activists to attack Congress workers would have to face the consequences of their actions. 

Congress leaders who led marches to various police stations in the district said they did not resort to violence at any place though the police tried to trigger tension at several locations and manhandle party workers. They also claimed that the video footage showing such strange assaults would be released soon to expose the suspected officers.