Pinarayi writes to Kharge over Kerala police action against SFI protesters
Pinarayi Vijayan urges Kharge to restrain Kerala's Congress-led government over police lathicharge on SFI students protesting Vande Mataram rendition.
Kerala Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, urging him to restrain the Congress-led state government from what he termed as 'pandering to the Sangh Parivar'. The appeal comes in the wake of police action against students of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) near a university campus.
Vijayan contended that there was no provocation for the police to resort to a 'violent lathicharge' on the students. He maintained that the protesters were engaged in a peaceful demonstration against the full rendition of Vande Mataram in front of the university building.
The letter marks a sharp political escalation over the incident, with the Leader of the Opposition directly implicating the state's ruling coalition in the police response. By addressing the matter to the national Congress leadership, Vijayan has sought to frame the issue as one of broader concern regarding the conduct of the state government.
The development is likely to intensify the political debate in Kerala over police conduct and the handling of student protests, with the opposition accusing the government of yielding to ideological pressure.