Kerala Youth Congress-SFI clash: K Surendran calls incident ‘drama’, BJP announces protests

BJP national secretary K Surendran on Thursday described the clash between Youth Congress and SFI activists in Thiruvananthapuram as a “drama” and questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s position on student protests in different states.

Addressing reporters, Surendran alleged that the Congress and CPI(M), despite being allies in the INDIA bloc at the national level, were taking different positions in Kerala and elsewhere. He also questioned Gandhi over the clash and alleged that the confrontation was intended to divert public attention.

The remarks came a day after Youth Congress and SFI activists clashed near the University Men’s Hostel in the Palayam area during a Youth Congress march seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police used tear gas and lathicharge to disperse the groups after stones, bottles and burning objects were allegedly thrown from both sides. Several activists and police personnel were injured.

The sequence of events remains disputed. Youth Congress workers alleged that stones and bottles were thrown at their march from the hostel, while SFI members alleged that protesters threw stones and burning torches into the hostel premises.

Police have registered separate cases against around 80 Youth Congress/KSU activists and 80 SFI/DYFI activists. The cases include provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Kerala Police Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The SFI has called for a statewide educational strike and protests on Thursday against the police action at the hostel.

 Tensions in Thiruvananthapuram have spread beyond the student clash. The BJP has alleged that unidentified persons attacked its state headquarters, Mararji Bhavan, with a beer bottle and has announced protest programmes across the state. Separately, BJP workers also blocked the vehicle of Kerala minister K M Shaji, while Congress and BJP offices in parts of the capital were reportedly targeted in separate incidents.

Surendran also alleged that Congress was using violence through its workers and questioned Chief Minister V D Satheesan over the developments. These allegations are political claims and have not been independently established.

with inputs from PTI