The agitations led by the United Democratic Front (UDF) is all set to take a new turn this week, culminating with a blockade of the Secretariat on Thursday demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the alleged university examination and Public Service Commission recruitment scam.
Currently, the Kerala Students’ Union, the students’ outfit of the Congress, is on an agitation mode, with a hunger stir led by its president Abhijith and three others entering the sixth day on Sunday. The Youth Congress has called for a Secretariat march on Monday.
The UDF organised a series of agitations last week, including a sit-in in front of the Secretariat to throw the spotlight on, what it called, the admission-examination-recruitment scam. The week also witnessed Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala visiting the Governor twice seeking his intervention to save the reputation of the University of Kerala and the Kerala Public Service Commission.
The visits were intended to put pressure on the Governor in the context of the seizure of blank answer sheets of the university from the residence of the prime accused in the stabbing case at University College and the shadow over the high rank he and another accused secured on the police constable recruitment list by the PSC. The Governor sought an explanation from the university Vice Chancellor and the PSC chairman is expected to meet him on Monday.
The UDF launched its agitations first by focusing on the State government’s attempts to throttle the local bodies financially and administratively, the Nedumkandam custodial death and the power tariff hike. The university developments appear to have come as a shot in the arm for the Opposition, putting the government on the back foot. The announcement of judicial probe into the custodial death case brought a certain kind of calm politically for the government, only to be disrupted by the university stabbing case, involving activists of the SFI.
The UDF agitations have a clear objective, coming at a time when the State is going to witness byelections to six Assembly seats.
Well begun
The Pinarayi government had a fairly good record in its initial years in office, but the fourth year seems to have begun on a disastrous note.
Another important aspect of the UDF agitation is the unity that the constituent parties have been able to display.
