Several members of the Fraternity Movement were injured in a police lathicharge in front of the office of the Deputy Director of Education (DDE) here on Monday.
Fraternity Movement leaders accused the police of charging at a march taken out by students to the DDE office in protest against the government’s failure to provide textbooks to school students two weeks after the start of the academic year. They said the police caned them mercilessly even before they reached the barricade in front of the office.
Among those injured and admitted to hospital are Fraternity Movement district committee members Akheel Nasim, Adil Javed and Naseeb Mankada. The police arrested 16 protesters, including Fraternity Movement State committee member Jamsheel Aboobacker, district general secretary Fayas Habeeb, and district secretariat member Ajmal Thottoli.
District Congress committee (DCC) president V.V. Prakash has lashed out at the State government for “beating up students”. “The government is using the police to oppress genuine protests by students in order to hide its failure,” said Mr. Prakash.
