A march taken out by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists to the Secretariat on Friday turned unruly after the police resorted to the use of water cannons to disperse the protesters.
The demonstration was held to press the government to take measures to prevent encroachments and take over encroached land in Munnar.
The activists attempted to topple the barricades that were erected in front of the main gate of the Secretariat.
The police used water cannons on them, forcing them to disperse.
Two activists sustained minor injuries in the ensuing melee and were admitted to the General Hospital here.
Inaugurating the a protest meet, BJYM State general secretary R.S. Rajeev accused both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) of being responsible for the systematic destruction of the ecologically fragile region of Munnar.
“While the CPI(M) led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been hell bent on protecting (Electricity Minister) M.M. Mani despite bringing the government into disrepute, the Congress has pursued a similar stance towards Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president A.K. Mani, who is known to have supported encroachers in the region,” he alleged.
