SFI Storm Keralam Secretariat Over Police Action on Student Leaders

Thiruvananthapuram: The Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Wednesday staged a march to the Keralam Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, protesting the alleged police assault on its student leaders, including central committee member Arya Prasad and state secretariat member Vaishnavi Shaji, during a demonstration at Kerala University.

The protest comes a day after clashes broke out during an SFI march to the University of Kerala, where the student organisation alleged that police personnel used excessive force against its members.

SFI has accused the police of brutally assaulting its activists and demanded action against those responsible for the alleged attack. The organisation said Prasad and Shaji sustained injuries during the demonstration and were subsequently hospitalised.

The student organisation has been holding protests over the alleged assault and has now intensified its agitation with the Secretariat march.

In a separate development, a clash was reported during an SFI-led student march to the Palakkad SP Office. Police used water cannons four times to disperse protesters.

The Palakkad march was organised in protest against the alleged assault of an SFI state secretariat member by police during the previous day's march to Kerala University.

Earlier in the day, Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala defended the police action during Tuesday's demonstration in Thiruvananthapuram, saying water cannons were used only after protesters confronted and attacked police personnel.

"The police resorted to using water cannons only after protesters unnecessarily attacked and confronted police personnel. The use of water cannons is nothing new; they have been used over the past 10 years, and the same water is being used even now. There is no difference," Chennithala said.

He questioned the need for what he described as large-scale protests against a government that has been in office for only 100 days.

"This government has been in office for only 100 days. What has happened in these 100 days to justify such a massive attempt at violence?" he asked.

Chennithala also alleged that internal differences within the CPI(M) were being projected through student protests and questioned the reasons for demonstrations outside the DGP's office and university premises.

"Which demand of the students has been denied? I simply fail to understand. Instead, there are attempts to attack the police and create trouble by entering the university premises," he said.

The SFI Central Executive Committee, however, condemned the alleged police action, claiming that women leaders were targeted and assaulted during the Kerala University march.

The organisation alleged that Prasad and Shaji suffered head and facial injuries and demanded a proper investigation and action against those responsible.