Thiruvananthapuram: Ten students were injured in the clashes between activists of SFI and those of the joint action council of students organisations in Thiruvananthapuram Law Academy Law College on Friday. The injured students were admitted to government hospital, Peroorkada. The police, which was called in to bring the situation under control, has registered a case and put up a picket in front of the college. The joint council alleged that SFI activists beat up the students after entering the classes. The SFI has been taking a hostile attitude towards them following their protests in January that resulted in the removal of then principal Lekshmy Nair from the post, they alleged. The college had the other day witnessed clashes between activists of MSF and SFI.
The SFI unit, however, maintains that the clash was a result of the skirmishes that broke out after an MSF activist threatened a female student for not wearing headscarf two days ago. They also alleged that they were attacked by a 13-member gang and injured seven of their activists. They later held a dharna in front of the MLAs hostel alleging that opposition MLAs had given the gang shelter there. The students belonging to the joint council and the SFI had gone on a strike in January this year alleging harassment by the management. The abrupt withdrawal of SFI from the strike had drawn flak from several quarters and other organisations went ahead with the agitation. It was following an agreement between management and students in the presence of Education Minister C. Raveendranath that the strike was later called off.
12 injured in Kerala Verma College tussle
Members of the BJP and ABVP clashed with the SFI for nearly half an hour with wooden sticks and heavy bamboo poles at Sree Kerala Verma College on Friday morning. As many as 12 students were injured in the clash and they were admitted to the General Hospital and a private hospital in Thrissur. None of the injuries were serious, West Police said. The clashes started during the inauguration of a meet organized by the BJP and ABVP against the alleged highhandedness of the SFI in Kerala.
Former principal of Government Victoria College in Palakkad, Dr Sarasu, against whom the SFI had protested on the day of her retirement last year by making a symbolic grave, inaugurated the meet. The SFI unit of the college said that two of their members were first attacked by the BJP and ABVP men when they went to have tea near the meeting place at the entrance of the college. But the ABVP claimed that the SFI sparked off the violence by pelting stones at its activists.
