Police Physically Assault Students Protesting Sangh Parivar Seminar at Central University of Kerala

Kasaragod: Police allegedly subjected students to severe physical assault during a protest against a Sangh Parivar seminar held under police protection at the Central University of Kerala in Kasaragod. Several students, including SFI leaders, were arrested. Female students were also allegedly assaulted in the absence of women police personnel.

Those arrested include SFI district secretary Adinan Chattanchal, district president Anuraj M, state committee member Sajesh Kovval Palli, district joint secretary Adv. K V Roshin, district vice-president Karthik Rajeev, secretariat members P K Manjisha, Adarsh Beppe and Daya Kumbla, and district committee members Vishnu Thrikkarippur and Chirag.

Student organisations, including the SFI, had protested against the Vande Mataram seminar featuring RSS pracharak J Nandakumar as the keynote speaker. The ABVP was the only organisation that stayed away from the protest. The programme was organised at the university as part of the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The event was organised by the RSS organisation Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad.

Students said inviting J Nandakumar, whom they described as an RSS pracharak at the national level, as the keynote speaker at a seminar organised by the university was part of an attempt to saffronise the institution and that this could not be accepted under any circumstances. The students protested by raising slogans of "J Nandakumar Go Back".

Teachers supporting the Sangh Parivar also participated in the programme. Anticipating protests against the Vande Mataram seminar, which students alleged was organised with a Sangh Parivar agenda, a large police contingent had been deployed on the campus. The seminar was held in a locked hall.

Several students, including SFI unit secretary Sayed S Ali, were injured in the police assault.