Congress Protest In Kerala Over Cases Against Party Leaders Turns Violent

The statewide agitation called by the opposition Congress in Kerala against the cases registered against party leaders V D Satheesan and K Sudhakaran on Tuesday turned violent at several places after police lathi-charged the party workers.
    
The Congress held protests and organised marches to the offices of the district police chiefs in the state.
    
Senior Congress leader and All India Congress Committee general secretary, Tariq Anwar, who inaugurated the protest in the state capital said the party will fight the cases registered against Satheesan and Sudhakaran legally and politically.
    
"The LDF (Left Democratic Front) is aping the central government's attitude of silencing the opposition parties," Anwar said.
    
He alleged that the Left party was using government machinery against political opponents like the Prime Minister.
    
"The Congress party will not tolerate such an attitude. Everyone knows that this is a false case and just a move to malign the PCC chief and Leader of the Opposition," Anwar said.
    
He said the Congress party would not bow to such tactics.
    
Meanwhile, Satheesan lashed out against the Lathi charge and said it was unacceptable. 
    
"The government is misusing the authority of the police to suppress the voice of the opposition when we point out the corruption of those close to the ruling front," Satheesan said.
    
He alleged the police assaulted the "peaceful protesters" at various places including Kollam, Malappuram, and Kasaragod.
    
Several party workers were injured when police resorted to lathi-charge at the protest march in Kasaragod and Malappuram districts.
    
Sudhakaran is the second accused in a cheating case involving controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal.
    
The Vigilance department has registered a case against Satheesan in connection with the Punarjani matter, the housing for the poor scheme, in which the complainants allege that funds from abroad were misused.