Clashes erupted in Thiruvananthapuram between opposition parties and the Kerala Police on Friday night over the questioning of Higher Educa...
Clashes erupted in Thiruvananthapuram between opposition parties and the Kerala Police on Friday night over the questioning of Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a case involving gold smuggling through diplomatic routes, The Indian Express reported.
Members of the opposition parties gathered outside the Secretariat and demanded the resignation of Jaleel. At least 10 activists of the Youth Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party were injured after the police baton charged the protesters, according to The Hindu. Tension continued late into the night as protesters laid siege to the road. Some of the protesters attempted to topple barricades put up outside the Secretariat, while others burned effigies of the minister.
BJP State president K Surendran, who led the party’s demonstration, said the agitation would continue until Jaleel stepped down. “The people of Kerala expect nothing less than Jaleel’s resignation because an incident of this nature has never happened in the state,” Surendran said. “A Cabinet minister has been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate and there is not a single word from the chief minister [Pinarayi Vijayan]’s party.”
The BJP leader added that his party would observe “black day” on Saturday in protest against alleged police excess. “There will be state-wide protests till minister KT Jaleel resigns,” Surendran...
