Blockading the chamber of Kerala University Vice-Chancellor: Governor seeks report from Collector and VC

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Governor has sought a report from the District Collector and the VC on the incident of SFI activists blocking the chamber of Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal. Posters describing the VC as the RSS's Sarsanghachalak and with pictures were pasted in his chamber. It has also been asked to explain how the SFI activists broke into the VC's chamber by bypassing the three-tier security. The VC had handed over the pictures of the attack to the Governor. This is the first time that the new Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is seeking an explanation in university matters.

SFI has been on strike since the 24th of last month in protest against the failure to declare the results of the university union elections and the inability to form a union. The VC had instructed Registrar Dr Anil Kumar to dismantle the protest tent on the Senate House campus. The VC issued a memo to the Registrar asking him to explain with 24 hours the failure to inform the police about this and the security breach caused by SFI activists entering the VC's chamber. No action has been taken against the security personnel who allowed the tent to be erected on the university campus yet.

SFI activists barged into the VC's office around 1:30 pm on Monday and blockaded the office for about two hours. Four people were arrested by the Cantonment Police. The university engineer has been tasked with assessing the damage to the VC's office and reporting back. No case has been registered against the protesters for destroying public property. The university is unable to take a decision as three election-related cases are pending in the High Court. The VC has filed an affidavit in the High Court stating that the results could not be declared as the election documents were destroyed in the clashes. SFI is demanding that the union be formed before this year's university youth festival.