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Tamil Nadu
Criminal cases against students won't be withdrawn: CM
By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau
CHENNAI, DEC. 11. The Chief Minister, Mr. O. Paneerselvam, today asserted that criminal cases filed against 35 law college students during last Friday's violent clashes here would not be withdrawn.
The Government would await the report of the Justice Ali Mohammad Commission, set up to probe the clashes between the police and law college students, for further action on the incident, the Chief Minister told reporters at the Secretariat here.
Asked whether the law students' demand for postponement of examinations would be considered, Mr. Paneerselvam reiterated that action would be taken based on the commission report.
Nevertheless, student activities on the law college campus here and elsewhere lost a bit of the initial momentum with not many aware of the future course of action and purpose.
Though the options of taking out a rally, sitting in fast and staging a dharna in front of the Assembly or the Secretariat are being weighed, the students' plans still remain unclear in the absence of a leadership to ensure a consensus among them.
Today, law students threw a few stones and water sachets at the police force lined up outside the college gate. Though a water sachet burst in the face of a Deputy Commissioner, no untoward incident was allowed to occur.
Meanwhile, as per the Madras High Court order all injured law students were shifted from the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital to the Government Hospital for further treatment. Scores of slogan-shouting students belonging to a city college travelled on the roofs of MTC buses to visit them at the GH.
No re-exam
The students find themselves in a piquant situation as the Directorate of Legal Studies does not intend conducting a re-examination for those who have boycotted examinations since the commencement of the agitation. Neither rescheduling of the remaining examinations nor closure of colleges indefinitely is being considered, according to sources.
Meanwhile, the Home Secretary, Mr. Naresh Gupta, rejected the students' demand for withdrawal of his statement justifying police action in the law college hostel. ``I will not withdraw the statement. I stand by it,'' Mr. Gupta said, reacting to the strident demand for a retraction of his statement.
But the All India Students Federation has said it would take out protest marches at all district headquarters on December 14.
Eye wash: Ramadoss
The enquiry by a retired High Court judge into the attack on law college students was only an eye wash, the Pattali Makkal Katchi founder, Dr. S. Ramadoss, told reporters at Dharmapuri.
If the Government was keen on providing justice to the students it should immediately appoint a commission comprising High Court advocates to probe the attack and withdraw the cases booked against the students.
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