Kerala Assembly erupts over SFI police brutality; Opposition walks out
Opposition walks out of Kerala Assembly after heated clash over alleged police brutality against SFI workers and students in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Kerala Assembly turned into a battlefield on Monday as ruling and opposition members engaged in a fierce confrontation over allegations of police brutality against SFI workers and youth protesters in Thiruvananthapuram. The tension reached a breaking point when the Speaker denied an adjournment motion, prompting the opposition to stage a mass walkout.
A Broken Baton and Shocking Allegations
The session took a dramatic turn when V Joy MLA entered the House carrying a broken police baton and several photographs depicting the alleged assault on students. Moving an adjournment motion, Joy accused the police of behaving like "criminals" during a recent crackdown at the University Men's Hostel.
The MLA presented a series of harrowing claims regarding the incident, including:
- The brutal beating of the state SFI president.
- Assaults on journalists covering the protest.
- The deliberate obstruction of an ambulance during the chaos.
- A specific allegation that Cantonment Sub-Inspector Gokul struck students on the head 24 times in just 36 seconds.
Joy demanded immediate disciplinary action from Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, noting that the police action allegedly occurred even in the presence of a minister.
The Government’s Defense
Responding to the explosive accusations, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala provided a different version of the events. He stated that the violence was triggered when beer bottles and stones were allegedly thrown from the university men's hostel at Youth Congress workers during a protest.
According to the Home Minister, the situation spiraled into a clash between SFI and Youth Congress workers, resulting in injuries to police personnel as well. He also dismissed rumors that outside police forces from Tamil Nadu had been brought in, asserting that the current force is the same one that served under the previous LDF government.
In a sharp counter-attack, Chennithala accused MLA Joy of threatening to kill police officers during a march to the Cantonment police station, demanding an apology. Joy vehemently denied the claim, stating he would resign if the allegation were proven.
Opposition Demands Inquiry
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan slammed the police response, suggesting that the unrest at the hostel was actually provoked by the interruption of power supply during a Youth Congress march. He maintained that students had not engaged in any provocation prior to the police intervention.
The opposition members used the session to display photographic evidence of the alleged violence, demanding a formal inquiry. G Sudhakaran further requested that the broken baton brought by Joy be officially examined. Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan confirmed that the baton had been set aside for examination.
While Chennithala promised that complaints against police personnel would be investigated, he criticized the opposition for launching protests so soon after the government took office, remarking that the administration had not even been granted a "honeymoon period."
The session concluded in turmoil as the Speaker denied the adjournment motion, leading the opposition members to exit the House in protest.