'Kerala CM should be booked first...': Opposition leader VD Satheesan on Rahul Mamkootathil's arrest

The Youth Congress staged a protest at the Secretariat today and tried to remove the police barricades. The police then resorted to water canons to disperse the workers.  Satheesan further claimed that Rahul was treated poorly and cruelly by the Cantonment CI during his arrest.

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader VD Satheesan said that the government's approach towards democratically protesting youths is cruel. He stated that the case was registered against Rahul Mamkootathil for creating violence. Satheesan criticized that a case should also be filed against the Chief Minister. Additionally, he accused the Chief Minister of characterizing the incident, including the filing of the FIR (First Information Report), as an attempted murder and framing it as a rescue operation.

VD Satheesan alleged that the Chief Minister harbored animosity towards Rahul due to continuous criticism of the Chief Minister through the news media. Satheesan further claimed that Rahul was treated poorly and cruelly by the Cantonment CI during his arrest. He then said that a fake medical certificate was produced in court. Satheesan questioned MV Govindan's credibility, referring to him as a regular falsifier. 

Youth Congress State Vice President Abin Varkey announced strong protest programs in the state today. Abin also informed that a protest program ' Samarajwala' was held under the leadership of the Youth Congress from the Thiruvananthapuram District Committee to Secretariat today. The Youth Congress staged a protest at the Secretariat today and tried to remove the police barricades. The police then resorted to water canons to disperse the workers.

The court had denied bail to Youth Congress state president Rahul, who was arrested in connection with the conflict in the Secretariat March. Rahul was remanded till January 22 and shifted to Poojappura Central Jail.

Rahul is the fourth accused in the case of the conflict in the Youth Congress Secretariat March that took place on December 20. Rahul's arrest was unexpected in the case in which the leader of the opposition was the first accused. The Cantonment Police arrested him from his house in Adoor on Tuesday and took him to Thiruvananthapuram. He was produced in court after a medical examination at Fort Hospital.