Thiruvananthapuram | The police on Monday used water cannons to disperse Youth Congress workers who staged a protest march to the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) office here, officials said.
The youth wing of the Congress party, demanded a comprehensive probe into the alleged irregularities in appointments made by the Kerala PSC during the previous LDF government's tenure.
Television visuals showed Youth Congress workers raising slogans and attempting to march towards the PSC office before being stopped by police using barricades outside the main gate.
As the protesters tried to breach the barricades and enter the premises after a confrontation with police, water cannons were used to disperse them.
Despite the police action, the protesters continued their demonstration outside the PSC office, raising slogans against the commission and its members.
Protests took place as commission members are scheduled to hold a meeting at the office on Monday, police said.
The protest comes in the wake of allegations by Kerala Youth Welfare Minister OJ Janeesh, who also serves as the state president of the Youth Congress, that several illegal appointments had been made by the PSC during the previous LDF government's tenure.
The controversy gained momentum after appointments to the State Planning Board came under scrutiny over allegations that answers to 10 questions written by a candidate were not evaluated.
Following the allegations, the PSC initially ordered an inquiry by its internal vigilance wing.
However, it later decided to entrust the probe to the Controller of Examinations.
The Youth Congress has also demanded the removal of the present PSC chairman and members, alleging that they were appointed during the previous LDF government's tenure.
