On Tuesday, February 7, the Kerala police used water cannons and tear gas shells on Youth Congress workers who have been protesting in Kochi against the budget presented by the Kerala government.
In the video shared by the news agency ANI, the Youth Congress workers are seen shouting slogans against the state government and waving flags. The police, on their part, are using massive police barricades to keep the protestors at bay. Police can also be seen utilizing water cannons to disperse the group, but protestors continue to demonstrate. A few protestors can also be seen throwing stones at the police force that was deployed to regulate the crowd. According to ANI, police also used tear gas shells to disperse protesters and restore some order.
#WATCH | Kerala: Congress workers protest in Kochi against the State Budget. Police use water cannon to disperse them. pic.twitter.com/eQ9XkxNMPq
— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2023
Reportedly, the youth Congress workers have been protesting in the state ever since a fuel cess was announced in the Kerala Budget 2023-24, presented by state Finance Minister KN Balagopal on February 3.
As part of the ongoing protest, the Youth Congress workers had on Monday, reportedly set a motorbike on fire in front of the Legislative Assembly. They also laid siege to the road in front of the Assembly complex. The scuffle ensued after the police tried to arrest and remove the Youth Congress activists from the area.
Last week, Congress youth wing workers gathered outside a guesthouse in Kochi, where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was staying, and waved black flags.
#WATCH | Kerala: Members of Youth Congress wave a black flag outside Ernakulam Guest House in Kochi where CM Pinarayi Vijayan is staying today. Protesters later detained by Police
— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2023
Security has been enhanced outside the Guest House in wake of protests against CM over State Budget pic.twitter.com/iKZyoRDxAU
Protests erupted on February 3 (Friday) too after the state presented its FY24 budget. On that occasion, Youth Congress workers burned the Kerala budget papers as a protest against the Pinarayi Vijayan government’s State Budget. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Yuva Morcha also staged a protest in Thiruvananthapuram.
#WATCH |Youth Congress workers burn Kerala Budget papers. Police use water cannons against the BJP Yuva Morcha & Youth Congress workers who are protesting against Kerala Budget outside Kerala secretariat in Thiruvanathapuram pic.twitter.com/1EJonWr6MU
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2023
Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan said they will continue their protest till the government withdraws its proposal to impose a cess on fuel.
Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly, VD Satheesan, said, “Imposing numerous taxes, the government is trying to introduce tax terrorism in the state. We are already facing a debt situation and the government is now imposing more taxes on the common man. These tax hikes have been in effect for the last six years. A new burden of Rs 4,000 crore in taxation is being put on the people.”
Last week, Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal presented the budget for the 2022-23 financial year in the legislative assembly. The Budget allocated Rs 2,000 crore to check inflation. Petrol and diesel prices will be increased by Rs 2 per liter as per the new cess introduced in the budget.
The budget has drawn fierce criticism over the proposed ‘social security cess’ on the sale of fuel, motorcycles, liquor, and electricity.
Justifying its decision to impose a cess on fuel, the state finance minister said that such a measure was announced as the state was facing a huge financial crisis due to the policies of the BJP-led Union government.
