THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Public property and normal life proved casualties once again with the CPM’s youth and student wings turning the capital city into a battleground on Friday. The city centre covering Statue, GPO, General Hospital Junction and Palayam were cut off for much of the morning and noon owing to violent clashes between the police and SFI, DYFI activists.Things had begun relatively peacefully with various organisations taking out separate marches to the Secretariat in the morning protesting against the petrol price hike.The SFI took out its march bearing an effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. They dispersed after burning the effigy, but by then, the DYFI had attacked the General Post Office at Pulimoodu, where only a handful of policemen were stationed.DYFI men broke into the campus, hurled down flowerpots and stoned the windows, shattering the panes. The police used water cannons and tear gas in retaliation. Pettah CI Prakash was injured on the head during the GPO clash, the police said.Traffic, by then, had come to a standstill on the busy MG Road and vehicles were being rerouted.The SFI activists, meanwhile, started pelting stones at the policemen assembled in front of the University College. Police chased them inside the College and used stun grenades.The Fire and Rescue Services also had a tough job on Friday. They were seen battling fire emanating from two vehicles set on fire by the DYFI men at Kunnukuzhy and the General Hospital Junction. The Ambassador car belonging to the PSC and the Mahindra Bolero of the Health Department were totally destroyed."It took us nearly an hour to put out the flames. Our units from Chenkalchoola rushed to both spots after being alerted,’’ an official with the Fire and Rescue Services said.Later, led by V Sivankutty MLA, the agitators staged a sit-in in front of the Cantonment Police Station demanding that the police should free the five students arrested by the police. IG K Padmakumar held discussions with the agitators.
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