Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Congress' youth wing's protest march to the secretariat demanding the resignation of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over LDF MLA P V Anvar's allegations against top IPS officers in the state turned violent as police used water cannons on the protestors and lathi-charged them.

The state vice-president of the Youth Congress, Abin Varkey, was surrounded by police personnel and brutally beaten, causing injuries to his head, according to visuals shown on TV channels.

Varkey, who was seen bleeding from his head due to the beating, refused to leave the protest site for the hospital and demanded action against a certain police officer.

Several other YC activists were injured in the police action, according to the visuals.

While Varkey refused to budge from the site, YC state president Rahul Mamkootathil was forcibly removed from the area and put in a police bus and taken away despite the protestors efforts to prevent it.

Prior to the area outside the secretariat turning into a battle zone, the YC activists shouted slogans against the Left government, Vijayan, his political secretary P Sasi and ADGP (law and order) M R Ajithkumar.

Mamkootathil alleged that Vijayan, Sasi and the ADGP have turned the secretariat into an underworld hub.

On Wednesday, the Youth Congress had held protests in various parts of Kerala demanding the CM's resignation in connection with the allegations by Anvar against Sasi and some top IPS officers in the state.

The Congress party will carry out a protest march to the secretariat on Friday on the same issue.

Putting the CPI(M)-led government in a spot, Anvar, the MLA from Nilambur, had on Sunday accused Vijayan's political secretary P Sasi and ADGP (Law and Order) Ajith Kumar of breaching trust and failing to discharge their duties honestly.

He had alleged that Kumar tapped ministers' phone conversations, had links with gold smuggling rackets and was involved in serious crimes.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Chikkamagaluru: Four children drowned in a lake in Aralaguppe village after reportedly going to catch ducks, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Mahdia, Arunus, Nayus, and Abdul Rehman. The children were aged between 5 and 14 years. Another child, Armaan (4), escaped unhurt.

Police said the incident occurred at Karanji Lake in Aralaguppe village. Rural police visited the spot and are investigating the case. A case has been registered at the local rural police station.