Ten state government employees were injured in a police lathicharge at the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram and in clashes between workers supporting and opposing the one-day all India strike, sponsored by the pro-Left democratic front unions against the Centre's economic policies. The incident occurred when the cabinet was holding a meeting. Police lathicharged and removed some protestors to bring the situation under control, police said.
The protestors staged a dharna in the chief minister's office block for several hours. They dispersed only after opposition leader A K Antony and his party colleagues arrived. The forcible closure of a coffee house in the secretariat compound sparked the trouble, which went on for several hours, resulting in repeated clashes between employees who indulged in stone-pelting, damaging vehicles and window panes, the sources said.

A strong contingent of police arrived on the scene and first asked the employees to disperse. When their appeals did not evoke any response, police resorted to lathicharge. They also arrested eight persons in connection with the incident. Chief minister E K Nayanar, in a statement, said action would be taken against those responsible for the incident and charged the Congress with 'encouraging' violence in the state.

Antony demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident. The pro-Congress service organisation has called for a state-wide strike on Thursday protesting the incident. Bureau Report