THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The opposition boycotted assembly proceedings on Thursday, protesting police atrocities against protestors of the SilverLine project in Changanassery.
Amid the discussion on the supplementary demands for grants, opposition leader V D Satheesan said that the opposition would like to bring to the notice of the assembly the brutal police action against protestors, including women and children at Madappally in Changanassery. “This is a gross violation of the assurance given by the chief minister during the discussion on the SilverLine project that such protests will be dealt with peacefully,” he said.
Women were dragged away through the road, and the opposition will resist the government’s move to soak such protests in blood, Satheesan said. The opposition then walked out of the assembly boycotting proceedings. Amid sloganeering by opposition members, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that all matters dealing with K-Rail are going on peacefully. “There are no major protests against the project. For the same reason, the opposition is trying to create provocation and are attacking police and officials. Protests are being led by Congress, and they should withdraw from such activities,” he said.
CM added that there are serious differences of opinion even among Congress and UDF regarding protests against the project. Under those circumstances, they should not try to create unison through violence, he said. The opposition took out protest to the entrance of the assembly. “Police resorted to violence against public who democratically protested against K-Rail stone laying in Changanassery. In the last several days, police have been used to suppress protests of public against the SilverLine project . The matter was taken up in the assembly, and CM had assured that there would not be any police excesses against any protesters. Protests are by the public against eviction from their land and due to the concern that they will not be able to save their lives and property due to adverse impact that the project would cause on the state’s environment,” Satheesan said.
