Thiruvananthapuram | A protest march organised by the SFI and DYFI to Lok Bhavan here demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar turned tense on Friday, with police using water cannons multiple times to disperse demonstrators, officials said.

More than 200 activists from the two Left organisations marched towards Lok Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor, protesting the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, police said.

Anticipating trouble, police erected barricades well ahead of Lok Bhavan and deployed water cannon vehicles and riot control units, officials said.

When protesters attempted to scale the barricades, police used water cannons to disperse them.

As the demonstrators continued their protest in the area, police used water cannons several more times, officials said.

The protesters alleged that water cannons were also used when CPI(M) leader M V Jayarajan arrived at the spot to address them.

DYFI state secretary M Vijin, addressing the protestors, alleged that police used water cannons unnecessarily despite the demonstration being peaceful and Jayarajan being present at the site.

Vijin also questioned the electoral process, alleging doubts about whether the UDF government came to power in Keralam following the SIR exercise, during which several voters allegedly lost their voting rights.

He further alleged that Chief Minister V D Satheesan is governing the state on behalf of the BJP and RSS.

Vijin announced that similar protests would be organised across Keralam in the coming days.