Congress seeks to put government on the defence accusing SFI of relapsing into campus violence
The SFI has denied the accusations and portrayed itself as the victim of a right-wing media, Congress, and BJP witchhunt. It says its activists were victims in both incidents
The Congress on Wednesday sought to put the government on the defence by accusing an “un-repentant” Students Federation of India (SFI) of “relapsing” into violence against teachers and students on college and university campuses.
Two back-to-back incidents have incited the Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) to escalate their protracted row with the left student organisation — the alleged SFI attacks on the KSU Thiruvananthapuram district secretary Sanjose on the Kerala University Campus at Karyavattom and Sunil Bhaskaran, the Principal of Gurudeva College of Advanced Studies at Koyilandi in Kozhikode district on July 2.
Video images of the altercation involving Mr. Bhaskaran and SFI activists went viral on social and mainstream media.
Mr. Bhaskaran told local reporters that SFI activists had maltreated him when he denied their demand to set up a helpdesk for new admissions.
The SFI has denied the accusations and portrayed itself as the victim of a right-wing media, and Congress and BJP witchhunt. It said its activists were victims in both incidents.
The Congress, buoyed by the KSU’s relatively good showing in college elections, has sharpened its attacks on the SFI.
It has also sought to play on the concerns of parents and teachers by again attempting to cast the SFI as a malevolent force that used wanton violence, social shaming, public trials, smear campaigns, inquisitorial methods, and intimidation to rule campuses.
Notably, the Congress had, with a measure of success, made a Lok Sabha election issue of the suspected death by suicide of a veterinary college student in Wayanad to stigmatise the SFI and, by extension, the CPI(M).
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala spotlighted the Gurudeva College incident and termed the SFI a public concern. KSU State President Aloysius Xavier alleged the SFI had converted hostel rooms into torture chambers.
On Tuesday night, Congress legislators Chandy Oommen and M. Vincent staged a protest in front of the Sreekariyam police station, accusing law enforcement of shielding SFI activists responsible for the alleged attack on Mr. Sanjose.
On Wednesday afternoon, police used water cannons to disperse a KSU march to the Secretariat to protest the “false cases” foisted on the MLAs.
KPCC president K Sudhakaran and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan warned the CPI(M) to rein in the SFI or face legal and political consequences. BJP State president K. Surendran weighed in by accusing the SFI of assuming the political character of a “jihadist outfit”.
The Congress will likely attempt to put the government in the dock in the Assembly using SFI “violence” as a political foil.
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