Trade union workers attached to various political parties barring the BJP marched to the Thiruvananthapuram office of Malayalam TV news channel Asianet on Wednesday, March 30, to register their protest against the comment made by their news anchor on Monday night's prime news bulletin.

Anchor Vinu V John was debating the protests by the joint trade union protest against the policies of the Union government. Kerala witnessed a total bandh and workers taking part in the protests took over the streets. John was peeved when a patient who was being moved in an auto rickshaw came under the ire of the protesters in north Kerala. In the news hour debate he made a statement asking what would have happened if anyone did such a thing to the CITU general secretary Elamaram Kareem, a Rajya Sabha member and a top CPI-M leader. 

A peeved Kareem said what John said is not acceptable and this is not journalism. "I will register a complaint against John before the State Police chief and also with the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha," said Kareem.

Asianet news channel had clarified that an edited clip from the debate was shared online by those protesting in order ‘to whip up passion,’ while they have put out the entire video of the debate.

Expressing his dissent, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said he does not advocate such a protest against a media house.

"The media will be critical and just see how much we the Congress are attacked and that's their job. We are totally against this protest and even though the INTUC is taking part in the protest, it's not a feeder organisation of the Congress party and they are not bound to listen to us. But I will definitely speak to the INTUC leaders and tell them our view," said Satheesan.