Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 20 (PTI) A protest march taken out by Congress workers to a toll plaza alleging irregularities in toll collection turned violent in Paliyekkara in this central Kerala district on Friday.

Several Congress leaders and workers including T N Prathapan, MP, were injured as the protesters clashed with police who tried to stop them.

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The protesters, who laid siege to the toll plaza, later opened it and allowed free passage of vehicles as a mark of protest.

Prathapan later said in a Facebook post that the police handled him and his colleagues brutally for protesting against the toll.

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He alleged the National Highways Authority and Central government officials made all the profit by joining hands with goons who collect toll.

He also said that he had raised the issue in Lok Sabha several times.

Meanwhile, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran strongly condemned the police action against the Congress workers and leaders.

"GIPL company is looting people in the name of toll collection. The Congress leaders protested at Paliyekkara toll plaza for the cause of the public," he said in a statement.

He also urged party workers to hold state-wide protests against the police action on Saturday.

(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)