Tension escalates in Thiruvananthapuram after SFI-KSU clash; SFI alleges selective police action

Tension escalated in the State capital on Tuesday during a demonstration by Students Federation of India (SFI) activists, who marched to the Secretariat protesting the alleged attack by Kerala Students Union (KSU) workers and the purported biased police action during the university union election celebrations a day ago.

SFI State president M. Sivaprasad, who was among the 15 injured activists, led the protest march against the previous day’s clashes and police intervention. As the protesters attempted to scale the police barricades placed in front of the Secretariat, the police responded with repeated rounds of water cannon action to disperse the crowd. The protesters later staged a sit-in protest near the Secretariat gate.

The protest follows violent clashes that broke out after SFI’s victory celebrations in the Kerala University Union elections on Monday evening. The organisation alleged that KSU activists attacked its workers by pelting stones at its procession, leading to unrest in Palayam that continued late in the night.

SFI also accused the police of acting selectively during the incident, and alleged that excessive force, including lathi-charge and water cannons, was used primarily against SFI activists, while no immediate action was taken against KSU workers. They also claimed that hardened criminals had attacked SFI activists under the guise of KSU. Besides, the Cantonment police registered a case against 10 SFI activists, including Mr. Sivaprasad. The organisation observed Statewide protests in connection with the incident.

Senior CPI(M) leader V. Sivankutty accused the police of hesitating to charge KSU activists who were involved in the clash and instigated the violence during SFI’s victory procession. He alleged that the police acted at the behest of the Congress-led government.

However, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala refuted such allegations. He maintained that the law enforcers adhered to the prescribed norms and intervened effectively to quell the violence that inconvenienced the public, particularly motorists, on the arterial road.