The Kerala Students Union (KSU) has demanded the immediate intervention of the State government and the police to put an end to the ongoing protest being conducted by the Students Federation of India and the All Kerala Government College Teachers Association against the autonomy of Maharaja’s College.
Inaugurating a protest gathering organised by the KSU block committee here on Thursday, KSU State president V.S. Joy demanded the arrest of SFI leaders in the forefront of the agitation, who he alleged were behind the theft at the politics department of the college.
KSU was not against autonomy of Maharaja’s College per se but held the opinion that it should be implemented subjected to certain conditions evolved through consultations with students’ organisations. Mr. Joy warned of intensified protest by KSU if the ongoing agitation disrupting classes at the college was not called off.
Police stopped the slogan raising activists by putting up barricades in front of the college auditorium, a few meters away from the pandhal set up by protestors against autonomy. Though they toppled a few barricades, the activists could not breach the police lines assisted by water cannon thus defeating their earlier claim of forcing their way inside the campus notwithstanding the SFI protest.
Activists who persisted with slogans against the police and SFI were pacified and turned away by a police contingent led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police S.T. Suresh Kumar.
The police advised them to avoid a potential volatile situation as SFI activists had lined up at the other end of the barricade right next to the pandhal. Traffic through the Park Avenue region was thrown out of gear for about two hours after police put up barricades and diverted motorists through other routes. Meanwhile, the protest against proposed autonomy entered 44th day on Thursday.
