BJP demonstrates outside Assembly

Party State president K. Surendran and other leaders arrested by the police

BJP State president K. Surendran being arrested by the police in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday after he staged a protest in front of the Assembly demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the gold smuggling case.

As the House witnessed heated exchanges on several issues on Monday, the exteriors of the Legislative Assembly did not pass off uneventfully.

BJP State president K. Surendran and several senior party leaders were arrested by the police after they gathered in front of the main entrance to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and accusing him of being involved in the gold smuggling case.

Accusing Mr. Vijayan of misusing his office for ‘anti-national’ activities, Mr. Surendran said that the BJP will continue to agitate until his resignation.

Senior leader O. Rajagopal, MLA, inaugurated the demonstration.

Floral carpet

Earlier, the police posse outside the Assembly compounds were taken by surprise when a man rushed to near the main gates and began to lay a floral carpet with flowers soaked in cow dung. The Museum police soon overpowered the agitator, identified as Shaji Das of Kattakada, and took him into custody. Claiming his demonstration was to highlight the angst of the flower trading community, the agitator accused the Chief Minister of dampening their business prospects during the Onam season by allegedly dissuading the public against buying flowers, especially those brought from Tamil Nadu.