Lathicharge during protest against Waqf Bill near Karipur airport

Kozhikode (Kerala) | Tension prevailed near Karipur International Airport here for a while on Wednesday after a protest march by an Islamist outfit against the Waqf Bill turned violent.

The incident occurred during a march organised by activists of the Solidarity Youth Movement and the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), both affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami.

The protesters were demanding the scrapping of the recently passed Bill, police said.

Barricades were set up by the police to prevent the protesters from advancing.

When the protesters attempted to break through despite warnings, police resorted to a lathicharge and used water cannons multiple times to disperse the crowd.

The demonstrators resisted and raised slogans.

They later blocked a section of the road near the airport, police said.

Some police personnel and protesters sustained injuries during the scuffle. The situation is currently under control, police added.

The Waqf (Amendment) Act, which was passed by Parliament last week, has come into force on April 8.

Several Muslim bodies and opposition MPs have moved the Supreme Court against the law, which the ruling alliance has described as a "force for transparency and empowerment of backward Muslims and women from the community."

The opposition has slammed it as "unconstitutional" and claimed that "it infringes on the rights of Muslims".