Kerala: Youth congress protests Rahul Mamkootathil’s arrest

ERNANKULAM (Kerala): Youth Congress Ernakulam district committee led a protest march to the police commissioner’s office today to protest against the arrest of Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil.

Lok Sabha MP from Ernakulam district, Hibi Eden inaugurated the march which started from the District Congress office at 11.45 am on Saturday.

DCC President Muhammad Shiyas along with other MLAs K Babu, TJ Vinod, Anwar Sadath, Roji M John, Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Eldhose Kunnappilly and other Congress leaders also attended the protest march.

The Congress leaders claimed ‘political vendetta’ as the reason behind arrest of Rahul Mamkootathil.

Kerala Assembly, leader of opposition, and Congress leader VD Satheesan alleged that the Kerala police is doing injustice to the youngsters of the state.

#WATCH | Youth Congress show black flag to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a protest against state budget. The incident occurred at Kalamassery in Ernakulam district. This is the second such incident today. pic.twitter.com/LLHVxky0zJ

— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2023

“Yesterday in Kannur a young girl was brutally attacked by the police. This was at the request of the Chief Minister. When there was an attempt to murder the youth congress people in Kannur, the Chief minister of Kerala appreciated this attack, and he made a call to continue this type of criminal activities,” claimed Congress leader VD Satheesan.

Earlier, On Tuesday, the police apprehended Rahul Mamkoottathil for his role in the Secretariat march, aimed at drawing attention to purported injustices against Youth Congress workers. The cantonment police visited the residence of the Youth Congress leader in Pathanamthitta to officially record the arrest. Preceding this, 31 Youth Congress workers had already been arrested in relation to the incident. Rahul Mamkoottathil stands as the fourth accused, while opposition leader VD Satheesan holds the position of the first accused in this case.

The Youth Congress Secretariat organized a protest march on December 20 to condemn the assault on Kerala Students Union (KSU) workers by activists from the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Chief Minister’s security personnel during the Nava Kerala Yatra conducted by the state government.

Condemning the arrest of Rahul Mamkootathil, the Indian Youth Congress said “Attack on free speech will not be tolerated. We condemn the arrest of our IYC Kerala President Rahul Mamkootathil for peacefully protesting against the brutality of government. CPM in Kerala has created a fascist administration under the illusion of ‘free left.” (ANI)