Tension prevailed at Maharaja’s College after the Kerala Students Union (KSU) on strike clashed with the Students Federation of India (SFI) activists on the campus on Monday morning.
The strike was organised as part of the State-wide education boycott called by KSU in protest against the attack on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in Kannur on Sunday. Three members of the KSU and four members of the SFI were admitted to hospital reportedly after suffering injuries in the melee. The injured included two girls belonging to each of the sides. None of the injured was serious. The Central police registered a case though no one was arrested.
KSU district president Tittu Antony said that SFI activists attacked the KSU students without any provocation. College Principal Latha Raj said that very few students had turned up in the campus following the strike called by the KSU. “Minor skirmishes broke out between the protesting KSU activists and their SFI counterparts and I informed the police promptly,” she said. Later, Youth Congress activists led by State secretary Thampi Subramaniam barged into the SFI union office on the campus and ransacked it in protest against the attack on KSU activists. They also laid siege to the union office demanding its closure.
SFI district secretary Muhammed Fazal alleged that KSU activists resorted to indiscriminate violence beating up even students who had come to collect the travel concession cards.
Congress march
Congress workers took out protest marches in different parts of the city.
UDF councillors staged a dharna in front of the Gandhi statue near Rajendra Maidan. Benny Behannan, MLA, inaugurated the dharna. Mayor Tony Chammany presided. Congress, Youth Congress, Mahila Congress and INTUC activists took out protest marches in the city.
