K-Rail protests rage, BJP claimed men erect uprooted survey stones on CM house premises

Addressing a protest march in Thiruvananthapuram, Patkar said the project was going to be a major failure. “It is a question of what development paradigm we would accept. The social impact of the project is not limited to the houses to be demolished. All those living in the buffer zone of the tracks would be affected as no construction would be permitted. The project would have a far-reaching impact on the lives and livelihoods. If the CPI(M) opposes bullet trains in Maharashtra, they should oppose K-rail in Kerala,’’ she said.

A group of BJP workers jumped over the compound wall of the Cliff House, Pinarayi Vijayan’s official residence, and erected a few concrete stones there. BJP workers had uprooted the stones erected by the survey team in various parts of Thiruvananthapuram district and used them for the token protest at the chief minister’s residence.

Youth Congress workers marched to the district administration’s headquarters in Kozhikode, Thrissur and Palakkad in protest against the ongoing survey for the project. The workers clashed with police when they tried to enter office compounds. In Thrissur, 12 Youth Congress workers were injured as police lathi-charged the agitators.

At Nattassery in Kottayam, local people prevented officials from erecting survey stones on private land for the third consecutive day.