The police use water cannons to disperse the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists who protested outside the Assembly demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan over the Sabarimala gold theft row, in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The State capital witnessed tense scenes on Tuesday as clashes broke out during a march taken out by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha to the Assembly in protest against the Sabarimala gold misappropriation case.
The situation escalated into violent confrontations between the protesters and the police, turning the heart of the city into a virtual battleground and bringing traffic to a standstill for nearly an hour.
The police used water cannons multiple times to disperse the protesters after they attempted to breach the barricades erected near the Assembly complex. Later tear gas shells were also used.
Five activists, including Yuva Morcha State president V. Manuprasad, sustained injuries or developed uneasiness in the melee. The injured were admitted to the General Hospital. The protesters later blocked M.G. Road, accusing the police of delaying the transportation of the injured activists to the hospital.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive member P.K. Krishnadas, who addressed the protesters, said the actions of the ruling political leadership were akin to that of a criminal gang, and cautioned that the party would intensify its agitation in the Sabarimala issue. He also accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government of displaying a “fascist mindset” aimed at crushing democratic protests through force. The senior BJP leader also accused both the Communist Party India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Congress of large-scale corruption in the management of the Sabarimala temple. Leaders from both parties were involved in the alleged theft of gold offerings at the temple, he alleged.
Published – February 03, 2026 07:57 pm IST
