Widespread protests erupted after the arrest of Kerala Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil from his house near Adoor in Pathanamthitta on Tuesday, January 9. He was taken away by a team of police officials attached to the Cantonment Police station in Thiruvananthapuram. Youth Congress workers across the state started protests at several places.

According to sources, he has been arrested after being arraigned as an accused following a huge Youth Congress protest rally in the capital city last month against the Pinarayi Vijayan government.

Rahul’s mother expressed surprise over the manner in which the police arrived at her house early this morning. “They did not ring the calling bell but just walked into my house. There were a good number of police personnel. Despite my best efforts to know the reason for the arrest, the police officials only said that they were taking orders from higher ups and took my son with them,” said Rahul’s mother.

“He was taken away as if he had committed a heinous crime,” added his mother.

During the protest rally of the Youth Congress last month, party activists had caused damage to police vehicles, after which a police case was registered against them. However, in that case, the first accused is Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan, while Rahul Mamkootathil is only the third accused.

After Rahul’s arrest, friends and colleagues within the party staged a protest by lying down in front of the police jeep in which he was being taken.

“The manner in which the arrest was done smacks the arrogance of the Pinarayi Vijayan government as Mamkootathil has a track record of appearing before the police whenever he has been asked to appear in the past,” said a local leader.

(With IANS inputs)