Kerala political clashes spark widespread protests and police cases

Political violence and protests have escalated across Kerala following clashes in Thiruvananthapuram between student and youth wings of rival political parties. The unrest began during a Youth Congress march toward the Secretariat, where protesters were reportedly pelted with stones and bottles from a Kerala University hostel. In retaliation, Congress workers allegedly threw torches toward the hostel, leading to physical altercations and police intervention involving a lathi charge.

In the aftermath, Thiruvananthapuram police booked 160 individuals—80 from the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and 80 from the Youth Congress—on charges including damage to public property and obstruction of public ways. Protests have since spread to other districts, including Kasaragod, where DYFI workers held demonstrations against the Youth Affairs Minister.

A separate incident in Kollam involved an apparent error during an SFI protest march, where a worker accidentally tore down a memorial flex for the late CPM leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. The Youth Congress subsequently installed their own memorial flex at the site, claiming to have restored the damaged tribute.