Policemen, photojournalists injured as stir turns violent
Malappuram, Kerala, Jun 24 (UNI) Two media photographers and as many policemen sustained injuries as a protest march called by the pro-IUML Muslim Students Federation (MSF) turned violent here today.
Police said the trouble began when a group of slogan shouting activists, demanding withdrawal of controversial text from the social studies textbook of class VII, pelted stones at the police, who prevented their march to the Deputy Director of Education breaching security cordon. In the melee, constables Mohammed Basheer and Rajesh were injured.
News photographers Sandeep of 'Malayala Manorama' and Lalu of a private channel, who were covering the incident, also sustained injuries, they said.
Later, the protesters set on fire hundreds of textbooks at a book depot behind the DD office, they said.
A report from Kozhikode said the MSF activists took out a similar march to the DDE office at Mananchira in the district. However, the protesters, who attempted to barge into the office, were prevented by the security force at the main gate.
Windows of a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus was damaged in stone pelting allegedly by the fleeing MSF activists at Mavoor Road KSRTC Bus depot in the city, they added.
Apart
from
the
MSF,
the
pro-Congress
Kerala
Students
Union
(KSU)
were
on
agitation
during
the
last
couple
of
days
to
mount
pressure
on
the
CPI-M-led
Left
Democratic
Front
government
in
the
state
to
withdraw
the
controversial
text,
which
they
claimed
was
aimed
at
promoting
''atheism
and
anti-religious
sentiments.''
UNI
PCH
GD
SW
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