Police Crackdown Continues Against SFI Protest; State Secretary P S Sanjeev Hospitalised

Thiruvananthapuram: Police launched another crackdown on a protest against the police brutality towards students who had demonstrated against the saffronisation of universities. Police resorted to a lathicharge against the students without any provocation. SFI state secretary P S Sanjeev suffered physical discomfort after being struck on the chest with a police baton and was shifted to hospital. The SFI alleged that the state police acted like a “hit-men” of the Sangh Parivar.

“Chief Minister and Home Minister keep saying that the police are not doing anything. Even what V D Satheesan said this morning has now been proved to be a blatant lie. It was the UDF’s supposedly innocent police who wielded batons against students and hurled abuses at them. Police who smash the heads of students, police who injure the eyes of girls — how innocent they are, aren’t they? These are the changes that have come to the Kerala Police in just three months,” SFI state president M Sivaprasad said.

He alleged that the police attacked students while they were protesting against the RSS and said the SFI would continue its strong protest against the UDF, which he accused of following the RSS agenda.

Protests were also organised at district centres across the state. Police continued to use force against the protest marches, deploying water cannons four times and resorting to lathicharges. Several SFI activists were arrested and removed from the protest sites.

The SFI had marched to the Kerala University headquarters the previous day to protest the full rendition of Vande Mataram at a National Sports Day event at the university, which the organisation alleged was done in accordance with an RSS agenda. Police, however, launched an attack on the march without any provocation.

Male police officers allegedly brutally assaulted students, including women who participated in the march. SFI Central Committee member Arya Prasad lost consciousness after being hit on the head during the police action.

SFI state secretariat member Vaishnavi Shaji suffered a serious injury below her eye. District committee member Vaishnya suffered a facial injury and had a tooth dislodged after being hit. Another district committee member, S R Niranjan, sustained a serious head injury. The injured students received treatment at Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital and private hospitals. Several other students were also injured.

Police deployed a water cannon as soon as the march reached the barricades and suddenly began attacking students. Activists questioned the use of male police officers to attack women students, following which some women police officers arrived at the scene.

The protesters later jumped over the university gate and reached the area in front of the university building to continue their demonstration.

SFI state secretary P S Sanjeev and president M Sivaprasad said the organisation was prepared to take the struggle to the streets if necessary to defend secularism.