DYFI march turns violent in Kannur, Kasargod

Kannur/ Kasargod, Monday, March 19, 2012: The march taken out by the activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) to the collectorates in Kannur and Kasargod as a protest against the government move to raise the retirement age to 56, turned violent.
In Kasargod, the NGO association workers staged a march when the DYFI activists tried to barge into the Collector’s chamber which led to a scuffle between the activists. Meanwhile in Kannur, the DYFI activists were laying siege to the collectorate when the NGP association workers came shouting slogans hailing Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Soon a major clash broke out between the activists. Peace was restored after the police intervened in the issue. The Congress-led UDF Government in Kerala on Monday raised the retirement age of state government employees to 56 years from the existing 55. Finance Minister KM Mani made the announcement in this regard while presenting the state Budget for the current fiscal.
The announcement, however, sparked protests from opposition LDF members who alleged that the proposal had already appeared in a section of the press, amounting to leak of budget secrets.
Members kept on raising slogans by sitting in the well of the House despite Speaker G Karthikeyan’s assurance that the issue raised by them will be examined in the light of similar precedents in the state assembly and Parliament.
The Opposition members started protesting as soon as the Finance Minister read out the proposal regarding retirement age.