A protest march by the Kerala Students Union (KSU) to the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram expressing solidarity with some PSC rank holders turned violent on February 18. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the agitators. Control Room Assistant Commissioner Sadan told The Times Of India that half-a-dozen of policemen got injured in the attack. As clashes broke out, police resorted to lathicharge injuring a few KSU congress workers, including its state president K M Abhijith. KSU organised the march to express solidarity with a section of Public Service Commission (PSC) rank holders who have been protesting infront of the secretariat since January, demanding revival of an expired rank list. Congress workers have also been protesting against the state government over alleged back-door appointments made in several departments through regularisation of service of many contractual employees, who have been working for over 10 years.