Kerala MPs protesting K-Rail 'manhandled' by Delhi Police

Thiruvananthapuram, March 24 (IANS) The opposition to the K-Rail project reverberated not just across Kerala but also in Delhi, when several MPs from the state claimed they were roughed up by the Delhi police while taking part in a protest against the project.

Incidentally, this took place just minutes before a meeting between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to take place in parliament house.

Vijayan and his Left allies want the project to go ahead, while the Congress and the BJP say that this project is not viable and massive destruction of the environment will take place due to this.

Veteran Congress MP K. Suresh raised the issue of manhandling of MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Speaker assured it will be looked into.

Meanwhile in Kerala across several locations, angry Congress workers took to the streets against the way their leaders were treated in Delhi and also against the K-Rail project.

Tension prevailed in Kottayam, Palakkad, Trissur, Kozhikode over this. In the state capital city, angry BJP workers pulled out a marking stone of K-Rail and carried it to the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to be planted there. But their attempt was thwarted by the police.

If completed, the K-Rail project will see a 529.45 km corridor connecting Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod with high speed trains covering the distance in around four hours.