Drama at police station as Congress leaders stage sit-in for release of Youth Congress activists

Congress top brass stage sit-in at Palarivattom police station demanding release of YC activists arrested for waving black flag.

High drama prevailed at the Palarivattom police station here on Monday evening after the Congress top brass in the district staged a sit-in at the Palarivattom police station demanding the release of seven Youth Congress (YC) activists who were arrested on charge of waving black flag at the Navakerala Sadas bus carrying the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues at Palarivattom.

YC activists waved black flag when the bus was heading to the Navakerala Sadas session for the Thrikkakara Assembly Constituency. They were arrested and removed from the spot and taken to the Palarivattom police station.

“Initially, Congress councillor Shakeer Thammanam went to the station and completed all formalities for securing bail for the activists. The police agreed to release them but asked them to wait till the Chief Minister was back at the guesthouse. But in between local CPI(M) leaders went to the station and threatened our activists. Thereafter, the police booked the activists with unbailable charges under IPC Section 353 [assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty],” said Mohammed Shiyas, District Congress Committee president.

Soon, Hibi Eden, MP, MLAs Uma Thomas, T.J. Vinod, and Anwar Sadat, and Mr. Shiyas rushed to the station and launched a sit-in. They declined to budge till the activists were released and also accused a police officer of threatening to beat them up if they did not disperse. The protest continued late into the night.

In another incident, nine Congress and YC activists were kept under preventive detention at two places at Mulanthuruthy ahead of the Navakerala Sadas for the Piravom Assembly Constituency.

They had descended for the planned black flag protest just ahead of the arrival of the cavalcade of the Navakerala Sadas when they were nabbed by the police. While five were taken into custody by the Chottanikkara police, another four were picked by the Mulanthuruthy police.

Following their detention, R. Hari, Congress Mulanthuruthy block president; K.R. Jayakumar, UDF chairman of Piravom Assembly constituency; and Venu Mulanthuruthy, former president of Congress Mulanthuruthy block, reached the police stations. However, the activists were released only after the Navakerala Sadas ended and the cavalcade returned.