Kozhikode: Two activists of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) were injured when the police fired grenades at a protest march taken out by the party to the sales outlet of Indus Motors at Cheruvannur gramapanchayat here on Monday.
BJYM district committee members V. Rajeesh and E. Prasanth Kumar suffered injuries and were admitted to a hospital. The march was organised demanding that the government take back the land that houses the outlet, which is owned by Indian Union Muslim League leader and MP P.V. Abdul Wahab on the outskirts of the city.
Trouble started around 11 a.m. when 100 BYJM activists led by its State president K. Surendran took out a march to the outlet.
The police prevented them from entering the premises. Grenades were fired when the activists tried to force their way into the compound. The protesters were also caned.
Glass panes were destroyed when some agitators threw stones at the building. Traffic was blocked on the National Highway No.17 for a few hours.
The Nallalam police registered a case in connection. Inaugurating the march, Mr. Surendran said that government was lax in recovering the land owned by Mr. Wahab since it wanted to support his business interests.
He said he had petitioned the President of India to order an inquiry into Mr. Wahab taking possession of government land.
The land was given to the West India Steel Company in 1964 to set up a steel unit. However, the company closed down in 1997. Subsequently Mr. Wahab started his car sales outlet there.
As per the agreement reached between the government and the steel company “no company for which any land is acquired under this part shall be entitled to the said land or any part thereof by sale, mortgage, gift and lease or otherwise except with the previous sanction of the government.”