Kerala Opposition MP hospitalised after police use water canons to disrupt Mahila Congress march

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jebi Mather was hospitalised after police employed water cannons to disperse a Mahila Congress protest march she led to the legislative assembly in the state capital on Monday.

A large number of Mahila Congress workers, holding empty rice pots, marched towards the assembly in protest against the purportedly steep rise in the prices of essential commodities in the state.

Mather, who also serves as the president of the state Mahila Congress, spearheaded the march, inaugurated earlier by Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan.

The protestors raised slogans against the state government and attempted to breach the police barricade erected to block the road leading to the assembly.

When some of the agitators tried to throw the pots across the barricade, police used water cannons to disperse the crowd.

Though they withdrew for some time, the protestors returned and resumed their agitation, prompting the police to resort to using water cannons once again.

In the ensuing melee, Mather reportedly fell and lost consciousness. She was promptly transferred to an ambulance for transportation to the hospital. Sources close to Mather said she regained consciousness after two hours.

Several Congress leaders, including Bindhu Krishna, participated in the march.