A tense situation prevailed in Kottayam town on Saturday evening when a protest march taken out by Congress workers turned violent. Several persons and policemen, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy.SP), sustained injuries in the melee. The march was taken out in protest against the ‘manhandling’ of the Youth Congress workers by Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists in Kottayam the other day.
Events began to unfold when Congress workers led by senior leaders Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA, and K.C. Joseph took out a march from Gandhi Square around 5.30 p.m. They were blocked by the police in front of the District Collectorate. A Dy.Sp, identified as J. Santosh Kumar, sustained a head injury when protesters attempted to breach the barricade. Soon, the police deployed water cannons to disperse the agitators who were hurling stones.
