Kerala student protests turn violent; police use water cannons amid SFI-KSU clash after union polls

Thiruvananthapuram: Protest marches taken out by the SFI in various parts of Kerala against alleged attacks by KSU activists-following university union election results-turned violent on Tuesday, with police using water cannons in several places, including the state capital.

There were also protests by the Students' Federation of India, the students' wing of the CPI(M), against alleged bias by the police. The SFI alleged that activists of the Kerala Students Union, the students' wing of the Congress, attacked its victory procession near the Kerala University area in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday night, after the election results were announced.

Police, however, maintained that SFI activists threw stones and sticks at KSU workers, prompting retaliation from around 20 KSU activists. As tensions escalated on Tuesday, police used water cannons multiple times against SFI activists marching towards the Secretariat in the state capital. Similar action was taken against SFI protests in Malappuram and Thrissur, while demonstrations also erupted in Kannur.

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SFI Protests: FIR lodged

According to SFI leaders, KSU activists hurled stones at the procession and assaulted several members, including SFI state president P Shivaprasad, who sustained injuries. Police registered an FIR against 10 identified SFI workers and 40 others in connection with the Monday violence.

A station house officer suffered a fracture to his left arm near the elbow during the stone-pelting, while several other police personnel also sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital, police said. The Kerala University Union election was swept by the SFI, which won 35 of the 37 seats, while the KSU secured two.