A march taken out by the Congress workers to Paliyekkara toll Plaza on Friday against the alleged irregularities in toll collection turned violent.
The protesting Congress workers, who laid siege to the toll plaza, clashed with the police. Congress workers, including T.N. Prathapan MP, were injured in the chaos. Angry Congress workers opened the toll booth and allowed vehicles to pass.
Ramya Haridas, MP, DCC president Jose Vallur, and former MLA Anil Akkara, too participated in the protest.
The ED recently conducted a raid at the office of the Guruvayur Infrastructure Private Limited. The agency detected corruption at the construction of the National Highway 47 and the toll collection, and has frozen ₹125.21 crore of the contract company.
The ED investigation revealed that the company fraudulently obtained completion certificate of the road project and started collecting toll from the public.
The Congress alleged that the toll company committed the fraud at Paliyekkara with political and bureaucratic support.
Condemning the police attack on Congress leaders, KPCC President K. Sudhakaran said the police attacked the Congress leaders, including T.N. Prathapan MP, to protect the company which looted the public.
He called up on the Congress workers to conduct Statewide protest rallies on Saturday.
“The GIPL company is looting the people in the name of toll collection. The Congress leaders protested for the people. Pinarayi Vijayan’s police brutally tortured Congress leaders for those who cheated the people,” he said.
The Congress will continue agitation against organised cheating by the State and Central governments, National Highway Authority and the toll company. In the wake of the ED raid, the government should take steps to stop the toll collection with immediate effect, said Thrissur District Congress committee president Jose Vallur.
