Kalady university row: ABVP turns heat on protesting SFI

Aluva: The ABVP has accused the SFI leadership at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, of playing the victim after facing disciplinary action, and described its members leading the current protest as campus criminals.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, ABVP state secretary Yadu Krishnan alleged that students facing disciplinary action were themselves involved in campus clashes and that the indefinite hunger strike by SFI unit president Archana was an attempt to divert attention from the cases against her.

He claimed that Archana was named in a case registered at Kalady police station over an alleged attack on students with deadly weapons.

He also alleged that another SFI activist, Abhijith, had a Non-Bailable Warrant issued against him by a court in Perumbavoor.

Krishnan further accused some other SFI activists of being involved in cases at the police station.

He also made allegations against Rithusha, who has been described as the university's first transgender PhD scholar, claiming that she abused students and provoked clashes.

The ABVP leader said the university's present unrest should be seen against the background of disciplinary action taken against ABVP activist Ujjwal Unni and five others.

They were suspended for nine months by the Left-led syndicate over a campus clash which the ABVP described as non-political.

Five of them had to discontinue their studies, he said.

Ujjwal later left that course and joined another programme at the same university, Krishnan said.

He also questioned the silence of academic experts and cultural figures over the suspension of the students, saying no joint statement had been issued in their support.

The ABVP alleged that the SFI had remained silent over campus issues during the previous Left government and was now trying to disrupt the academic atmosphere through its protest.

The press conference was attended by Ujjwal Unni and ABVP district committee member Krishnunni.

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