Made porridge on test ground, protested by lying in grave; new style of protest against minister Ganesh Kumar's announcement

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Protests are taking place in various parts of the state against Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar's new announcement that driving tests will resume in the state under police protection. Protesters organized different types of protests on many grounds of the state where the tests were to be held.

The Motor Vehicle Department had said that the applicants who got the slots should arrive for the test with their own vehicles. However, the applicants did not turn up in several places. With this, the officers also returned. Districts, including Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur, witnessed the protest of the joint committee took place.

In Thiruvananthapuram, the protesters protested by lying on the road in front of the ground where the driving test was to be held in Muttathara. In Thrissur, the protesters dug a grave in Athani and staged a strike. The driving test was not conducted in Kochi and Kozhikode today. In Thamarassery, the protesters staged a protest at the private driving test ground by making rice porridge on the ground. Meanwhile, most of the organizations, except CITU, have decided to continue the strike over the revised driving test.

The other day, Minister Ganesh Kumar had said that the driving tests will resume in the state under police protection. The applicants who were allotted the date for the test were advised to arrive at the test grounds with their own vehicles. The minister also directed the MVD officials to make necessary arrangements for the new test on KSRTC and government lands.