Youth Congress protest in Kerala over ED questioning Sonia Gandhi

Youth Congress workers on Thursday staged a protest at a railway station here, by blocking tracks in front of a stationary train, against the ED questioning of party president Sonia Gandhi in the national capital.

The protest was led by Congress MLA Shafi Parambil who shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was quick to take action where Congress party members were concerned.

The protesters were removed from the tracks by the police and several of them, including the Congress MLA, were arrested and booked under various provisions of the Railway Act, an officer of the Railway Protection Force said.

As the offenses were bailable, Parambil and others were released on station bail, the officer said and added that departure schedules of none of the trains were disrupted due to the unexpected protest.

The Youth Congress workers and the MLA suddenly entered the railway station and walked onto the tracks while coming back from a protest march to Raj Bhavan, the officer said.

The protest march to the Raj Bhavan was also held on the same issue of action taken by ED against Sonia Gandhi.

During his speech on the tracks, Parambil contended that such actions of ED against Sonia Gandhi and earlier against Rahul Gandhi will not discourage Congress or bring about its end and will only result in the downfall of the BJP.

According to the visuals shown on TV channels, some workers of Youth Congress had also climbed up on the engine of a stationary train while others blocked the tracks in front of it for several minutes.

Later, police were seen removing Parambil and others from the tracks.

The Congress MLA was carried away from the tracks by the police.

Subsequently, they protested by sitting down in front of the Railway Police Station at Thampanoor station before their arrests were recorded.