THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Protests over the K-Rail project erupted between citizens and Kerala police in Aluva, Ernakulam district, and Chengannur, Alappuzha district, on Thursday, after the 23rd CPI-M congress gave the project its green light.
The demonstrators were attacked by the police in Chengannur after they barred K-Rail employees from laying marker stones as part of a survey that was taking place across the state. When the police saw the ferocious protest, they jumped into action and detained eight of them. At Aluva, the situation was no different.
Meanwhile, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechuri told the reporters in Kochi that the project will benefit the state and that all people who will lose land will be compensated fairly.
This initiative was a topic of debate at the four-day 23rd Party Conference, which will end on Friday, and the party leadership talked about it. The 1500 delegates were convinced of the project's importance, and there appeared to be no disagreement within the party.
Meanwhile, the opposition, led by the Congress, is planning a large state-wide protest from March 10 to April 4 against the proposal, which Metroman E. Sreedharan has termed as "idiotic."
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