KOZHIKODE: The laying of survey stones for the K-Rail SilverLine project was met with stiff resistance at Tirur with protesters uprooting the stones and three persons, including municipal chairperson A P Naseema and standing committee chairman Abdusalam sustaining injuries in the faceoff between police and protesters on Wednesday.
The injured sought medical treatment at the Tirur district hospital. "Police used force to remove us and dragged me. Our standing committee chairman was beaten up by the police on the leg," Naseema said.
She added that when she enquired with the inspector why they were using force, she was told that they had instructions from higher ups to ensure that the survey stone laying was not affected.
The protesters, including women, had assembled in the area when the officials came to the residential area near the fire station office to lay the survey stones at around 9am. Though the police held talks with the protesters it failed to end the standoff.
They raised slogans and the chairperson Naseema and others who came to express solidarity to the protest uprooted the survey stones. Later, police arrested and removed nine protesters. The arrested persons were later released on bail. Protests also erupted when the survey stones were laid at Vishnupadam. In the afternoon, survey stones were laid in non-residential areas of Thrikkandiyoor and Thalakkad villages. UDF organised a protest march in the evening at Tirur alleging that police manhandled elected representatives. The protesters have announced that they would intensify the protests on Thursday.
Cong MP files complaint with LS speaker
Congress MP Kodikkunnil Suresh filed a complaint with the Lok Sabha speaker alleging police officers insulted him when he had arrived at the venue of a public protest against K-Rail survey in Chengannur in Alappuzha. Suresh, who is also a member of the Lok Sabha committee of privileges, said that he had filed the complaint with the speaker, using the constitutional rights of a parliament member against violation of rights and privileges.
Chengannur police had registered a case against Suresh for insulting and using abusive words against police and K-Rail officials.
