Scuffle breaks out between Kerala Cong MPs, Delhi cops during march to Parliament against K-Rail project

New Delhi: The Kerala opposition MPs' protest against its government's SilverLine semi high-speed rail corridor project has taken a new turn on Thursday with reports revealing a scuffle broke out between the former and the Delhi police personnel.

As per reports, the police stopped the Congress MPs from marching to Parliament and some leaders even alleged they were manhandled by the police while they were protesting at Vijay Chowk.

There was a chaotic situation outside the Parliament when all the Congress MPs from Kerala were stopped by Delhi Police during a protest march.

Kodikkunnil Suresh, Dean Kuriakose and VK Sreekandan claimed that they were manhandled by the police.

Reacting to the incident, KPCC president K Sudhakaran, also an MP, told that the police attack even on senior leaders who were peacefully protesting cannot be dismissed as just a coincidence.

However, a police officer handling the situation at the spot told that there was some confusion over the identity of the people trying to cross over the police barrier.

The police staff on duty stopped them but later they were allowed to go. There was some confusion that was immediately addressed and resolved.

However, Delhi Police refuted the manhandling charge. The police said that MPs first raised slogans near Vijay Chowk and then started moving towards Parliament.

"Because of the protest, they were stopped and when they told their identity we let them go. No manhandling was done," the police said.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader KC Venugopal said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be together in this project and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give consent.

"We are seeking the PM to see the concern of the people of Kerala and to try to stop the CM of Kerala. There's a feeling that CPI(M) and BJP will be together in this project and that the PM will give consent," said Venugopal.

The Congress leader further said that the K-Silver line project proposed by the Kerala government is anti-people.

"Most people are in fear of eviction. Kerala is an economically fragile state… This is not an economically viable project. Now Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is going to meet the PM to get a sanction," he added.

The SilverLine project was initiated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in 2019. The expected cost of the project is around Rs 65,000 crore, but critics including the Congress argue that it will exceed Rs 1.3 lakh crore.

The 529-km SilverLine railway project will link Thiruvananthapuram in the south to Kasaragod in north Kerala, covering 11 districts through 11 stations. The journey between two stations is expected to take four hours, whereas it currently takes 12 hours to reach from one end to another. (ANI)