The government appeared to find itself on the backfoot on Wednesday after the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition walked out of the Assembly, accusing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of brazenly condoning the alleged brutal assault on Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists by Student Federation of India (SFI) members at Government Law College here late Tuesday.
It did not help the government’s case that a grainy video footage of the violence had gone viral. The recording showed a gang, purportedly SFI activists, set about KSU activist Safna Yakub and her fellow members with fists and dragging them through the road.
Rahul tweets
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, MP, sought to highlight the attack nationally by tweeting images of the violence and demanding action against the perpetrators.
Notably, the violence ignited a verbal head-to-head between Mr. Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan in the House.
The spillover effect of their quarrel manifested as KSU activists-police violence on the streets. Riot police used water cannons to disperse the KSU activists who attempted to storm the Assembly. They also arrested Congress legislators Shafi Parambil, Anwar Sadat and Roji M. John who led the protests. The police later granted the legislators bail.
The Congress has announced Statewide demonstrations on Thursday against the SFI violence.
CM’s reply
Responding to Mr. Satheesan's submission on the issue, Mr. Vijayan implied that both groups were responsible for the campus violence in varying degrees. The police had acted reasonably and taken cognisance of their respective complaints.
Mr. Satheesan, apparently to needle Mr. Vijayan, said the Chief Minister had unleashed “SFI goons” against KSU activists on campuses. “You (CM) are behaving like the CPI(M) State secretary who once routinely ordered annihilation of the party’s perceived enemies. Sir, your conduct is politically partisan. You forget you are everybody’s CM.”
Mr. Vijayan reacted sharply to the goading. “I was the CPI(M) State secretary and had acted responsibly and legally. You are behaving like a KSU activist,” he countered. He said the Congress was on its last legs. It was envious of the SFI’s acceptance among students. Hence, he said, an embattled Congress had fomented violence on campuses.
