The Kottayam town witnessed tense moments on Monday as activists of the Kerala Students’ Union (KSU) clashed with the police. The incident unfolded in the morning during a march organised by the youth group to protest alleged backdoor appointments by the LDF government, bypassing PSC rankings. The police had set up barricades to prevent the march from proceeding. When protesters attempted to push past the barricades, the police resorted to force to disperse the crowd. Later in the day, Youth Congress activists tried to raise black flags against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan upon his arrival in Kottayam by helicopter. Attempts were also made to display black flags on his return from the Kottayam Medical College. Published – February 16, 2026 07:43 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation FKCCI, KASSIA seek infra push, land in KIADB estates IIT Madras alumni meet held