Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram witnessed a massive fight between SFI and Youth Congress with stones, beer bottles, and burning torches after a Youth Congress night march turned violent outside a university men's hostel. Police entered the hostel and baton-charged students, leaving several injured and triggering calls for statewide protests by the Students' Federation of India (SFI).
The top leaders of the left, including LoP Pinarayi Vijayan, issued a stern warning to police to act impartially and not attack the left students' union.
The clash broke out at around 7.30 pm during a Youth Congress march against the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. Youth Congress workers alleged that stones, beer bottles and petrol bombs were thrown at the procession from inside the hostel. The SFI accused marchers of throwing burning torches into the compound.
Torches thrown into the hostel premises landed on a parked car and against windows.
The confrontation escalated into throwing stones between the two groups, before police entered the hostel.
The SFI alleged that police assaulted students without provocation. It announced a statewide class boycott and protests at the Secretariat and police headquarters
The attack led to the law and order chief of Kerala Police, P Vijayan, being present at the spot.
"There was no real reason for unleashing this kind of violence. I will be here till the situation is brought under control and police action will begin immediately after it," he told the media.
CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan called the incident a "one-sided attack" and accused Youth Congress workers of targeting students inside the hostel. "There was no provocation from the SFI. Youth Congress workers unleashed an attack on students inside the hostel. It is clear that the attack was planned," he said.
Accusing the Congress, Youth Congress and Kerala Students' Union of repeatedly targeting the hostel, Vijayan said, "A burning torch was thrown into the hostel. Even the police cannot say otherwise."
He also alleged that injured students faced further attacks while seeking treatment.
"There were attempts to stop the injured from going to hospital. Those who reached the district hospital for admission were also blocked. Students who went to the medical college were attacked again," he said.
Youth Congress workers maintained that the attack began from inside the hostel. Students offered a different account, alleging that marchers attacked first following jeering during a power outage.
Amid mounting anger over the police action, CPI(M) leaders V Sivankutty, P K Sreemathi and V Joy staged a sit-in outside the hostel. Senior party leader K K Shailaja alleged that the police action had been carried out on specific instructions.
