BJP activists pulling down a police barricade outside the Kozhikode collectorate during the protest on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
Activists of the Youth Congress and the BJP were seen engaging in scuffles with the police outside the Kozhikode collectorate on Thursday as they staged protests against the tax hike proposals in the State Budget.
They demanded that the government withdraw the proposed hike in social security cess on petrol and diesel. Charges were filed against 12 activists of the BJP and 11 workers of the Youth Congress as the protests turned violent thereafter.
Youth Congress activists staging a protest outside the Kozhikode collectorate on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
K. Ragesh
The BJP march began from Eranhipalam and was opened by party State president K. Surendran. He demanded that the State government levy tax dues from big industrialists, quarry owners, and liquor barons and avoid passing on the burden to the people. He alleged that the government was looting the common people for extravagant spending by Ministers and officials.
The police prevented the protesters when they tried to enter the collectorate compound removing barricades at the entrance. Later, water cannons were used to disperse the protesters, who were arrested later.
The Youth Congress march too began from Eranhipalam. District Congress Committee president K. Praveen Kumar inaugurated the protest. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were competing with each other in implementing anti-people policies. He said the Congress would not let Ministers and the Chief Minister sleep peacefully if they did not revoke the tax proposals.
The protesters tried to enter the collectorate premises by overturning police barricades. Water cannons were used subsequently, and there was tension for a while when the police tried to forcefully remove the activists. The agitators blocked traffic on the busy national highway that passes by the collectorate for nearly half an hour. They were arrested later.