Congress workers take out a march to the Collectorate in Kannur on Tuesday
| Photo Credit: S K Mohan

Minor clashes broke out during a march by members of the District Congress Committee to the Kannur Collectorate on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The clash with the police occured after KPCC working president T. Siddique’s inaugural address, when Congress workers attempted to breach police barricades.

The police used water cannons to disperse the protesters, leading to further confrontation as Congress activists moved closer to the police vehicle. In the ensuing chaos, a flex board installed for a government programme in front of the Collectorate was torn down by agitators. Senior party leaders intervened to control the crowd.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Siddique alleged that Kerala had become a “narcotics hub” under the LDF government and accused it of being steeped in corruption “from the Chief Minister’s Office to the Cliff House kitchen.”

The protest was presided over by DCC president Martin George, with DCC secretary K P Saju delivering the welcome speech.

The march, which began from Jawahar Stadium, saw the participation of a large number of Congress workers.