Kerala Police detained people protesting against the land acquisition for the SilverLine semi-high speed rail (K-Rail) project.
The residents of Madampally near Changanassery in Kottayam started a protest after the officials of the K-Rail project came to demarcate land and to lay survey stones for the SilverLine project.
Following this, workers of BJP and Congress reached the spot and started raising slogans against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government.
A woman protestor said, "This is a do or die situation for us. The K-Rail authorities will follow the instructions of the government. This project will leave us in the lurch."
After the people of Madampally were detained for agitating against the K-Rail project, Opposition leaders boycotted the Kerala Assembly session and staged a protest.
VD Satheesan, Leader of Opposition (LoP), said, "We have boycotted the Assembly session in the evening because of the ongoing agitation against the K-Rail project at Changanassery. Police brutally attacked the people, including women and children. Two days ago, we had raised the issue on the floor of the Assembly and the CM had assured that there won't be police highhandedness against the protestors."
He added, "Entire Kerala is protesting against the SilverLine project. The project will adversely impact the environment because the state is an ecologically fragile place. The government did not carry out any geological or location surveys. The Railway Minister in Parliament had said that they had given in-principle approval for the draft proposal for the project and not for the construction. The state government acquiring the land without the approval of the Ministry of Railways."
( With inputs from ANI )
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