Thiruvananthapuram: Around 50 people who were protesting against acquisition of paddy land for construction of a road in Kerala’s Kannur were arrested on Wednesday.

The protesters were arrested for obstructing the duty of government servants and rioting. They were later let off by the police.

On Tuesday, the All India Kisan Sabha, an affiliate of the CPIM, organised a massive protest of farmers and adivasis.

Kannur’s Keezhattur area has seen protests since June last year. The stir was called off after the government assured that the concerns of the farmers will be addressed.

Suresh Keezhatoor, one of the organisers of the protest, said the road project is an environmental hazard and a proper study has not been conducted for the scheme. "It is a fact that the paddy filed will be destroyed. But apart from that the nearby hills will also be destroyed as huge amount of sand is required to level the paddy field,” he said.

There were some tense moments on Wednesday when some of the protesters threatened to set themselves on fire when police and PWD officials reached the spot to inspect the land.

The protesters have set up a temporary shed in a paddy field through which the highway is likely to pass. It was alleged that on Wednesday some CPIM workers set fire to the shed. The police said a case has been registered against the CPI(M) men. Keezhattur is a Left stronghold.

Keezhatoor said that by next week the protest will start again and they are also looking at legal options to protect the paddy land and the environment