Police use water cannons, lathi charge YC activists

Police used water cannons and resorted to lathi charge to disperse Youth Congress activists, who allegedly pelted stones at them after they were stopped from taking out a procession to the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here today.
The activists were demanding resignation of Transport minister Thomas Chandy, who is facing encroachment allegations at a lake resort owned by him in Alappuzha district
NCP nominee, Chandy, a businessman-turned-politician, was inducted into the state cabinet eight months ago following the resignation of A K Saseendran after a purported sleaze audio clip with a woman went viral.
The Congress-led UDF and BJP demanded Chandy's resignation after Alappuzha district collector T V Anupama confirmed that a paddy field had been reclaimed for laying the road to his resort.

Besides the backwaters were also allegedly encroached to construct a parking space for the resort, according to the collector's report.