Pinarayi Vijayan Condemns Police Brutality During SFI Protest at Kerala University

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has called the police action against students at Kerala University deeply condemnable. He said the lathicharge on students — including women — carried out without even the presence of female police officers, is part of the UDF's policy of crushing dissent. He asked whether the brutal police crackdown was driven by intolerance at being exposed for the government's subservience to the Sangh Parivar agenda.

Students led by the SFI had marched to the university headquarters in protest against the singing of Vande Mataram in full at a university event, following a similar incident at the state's Onam closing ceremony. Police used water cannons against the marchers and then resorted to a lathicharge. The police action was carried out without following standard procedures or issuing any prior warning.

Police had even prevented the inauguration of the march — in which SFI state office-bearers were participating — before launching their brutal assault. Women students were among those beaten mercilessly, with several sustaining injuries.

Pinarayi Vijayan demanded that the government suspend the officials responsible for this unjust action, order an independent inquiry and take strict action against those found guilty.