A Youth Congress activist who was injured in police action during a protest march to the Wayanad collectorate on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: By special arrangement

A march organised by Youth Congress workers to the Wayanad collectorate on Saturday, in protest against the perceived negligence of State and Central governments in rehabilitating survivors of the July 30 landslides, escalated into violence.

Initially peaceful, the demonstration turned chaotic when the Youth Congress members attempted to breach police barricades set up at the district collectorate. In response, the police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the enraged protesters, who clashed with law enforcement. A verbal altercation also erupted between the Youth Congress activists and the NGO Union workers present at the second gate of the collectorate, prompting the police to intervene again with lathi-charge to restore order.

The altercations resulted in injuries to at least 25 Youth Congress activists and four police officers, all of whom were hospitalised.

Sit-in on NH

The Youth Congress demanded the immediate resettlement of the survivors of the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslides. They sought urgent steps from the authorities to provide suitable housing and support for the displaced individuals.

In a further display of dissent, the protesters staged a sit-in on the Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway 766, raising slogans against the State government.