India News | SilverLine: BJP Claims Party Activists Stage Protest at CM's Official Residence

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 24 (PTI) Intensifying its protest against the Left government's flagship SilverLine project, the BJP on Thursday claimed that its activists symbolically laid a survey stone in the compound of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's official residence here, a contention which is denied by the police.

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Alleging that the Chief Minister was undermining the people's sentiments on the matter, BJP Thiruvananthapuram district president V V Rajesh claimed that the BJP activists entered the compound of Cliff House, the official residence of the CM, by breaching its security and installed the survey stone there.

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The city police rejected the claim of the saffron party, saying no one entered the Cliff House premises.

The police, however, said few BJP activists managed to enter the premises of an unoccupied building in the neighbourhood of the Chief Minister's residence and staged the protest.

At least six BJP workers were arrested in connection with the incident, they said.

Rajesh challenged the police's contention, saying he was ready to prove that the symbolic protest was held on the compound of the Chief Minister's residence.

It all happened when the party's march towards the Cliff House, carrying the survey stones it had uprooted from various parts of the district, culminated at the high security zone in the Thiruvananthapuram city.

The protest was organised on a day the Chief Minister visited New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a speedy approval of the central government for the Left government's ambitious project.

Other parts of the state including two other major cities, Kozhikode and Thrissur, also witnessed opposition protests against the project.

Breaking the police barricades, Youth Congress workers, carrying a survey pole, entered the premises of collectorate in Thrissur. Police used water cannons and lathis to disperse the agitating Youth Congress workers.

The authorities were forced to suspend the survey process temporarily in a few areas in Kottayam, Ernakulam and Malappuram districts today also following the protests by the local residents.

Meanwhile, noted environmental activist Medha Patkar criticised the Left government for pushing the project.

Inaugurating a mass protest organised by K-Rail SiverLine Virudha Janakeeya Samithi in front of the secretariat, she asked the central leadership of the CPI(M) to look into every aspect related to the project.

She said if the Left opposes the bullet train project connecting Gujarat and Maharashtra, they must oppose the K-Rail in Kerala.

Patkar slammed the government for using force against women and children who are protesting against the project, saying it was not the policy of the Left Front, which has been strongly advocating and promoting democratic human rights.

The SilverLine project, expected to reduce travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod to around four hours, is being opposed by the Congress-led UDF and the BJP, which have been alleging that it is unscientific and impractical besides putting a huge financial burden on the state.

The CPI(M)-led LDF government contended that the UDF and BJP were anti-development.

The government said the project would be beneficial for future generations, would result in economic development and reduce carbon emissions every year by around 2.8 lakh tonnes. Therefore, the LDF said, everyone should come together to make the rail corridor a reality.

The 530-km stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod would be developed by K-Rail — a joint venture of the Kerala government and the Ministry of Railways.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)