UDF govt. hounding students who protested against Centre, says Pinarayi
Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly says cases have been slapped even on artists and cultural activists who participated in the peaceful solidarity programmes
UDF chief Pinarayi Vijayan has harshly criticized Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan for his handling of the police crackdown on student protesters in Kerala over the NEET question paper leak. Vijayan claims the government's approach has been "perfunctory" and points out that Kerala has been grouped with seven other BJP-ruled states in a Supreme Court notice seeking official responses regarding police excesses.
These states include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi. Vijayan alleges that the UDF government in Kerala has gone to great lengths to target students who protested against the Centre, even more so than the other BJP-ruled states or the two Union Territories. He wrote to Satheesan demanding the withdrawal of all police cases filed against protesters and stated that Satheesan's response at a media conference was insufficient and did not clearly state the government's position on the issue.
Vijayan also wrote to All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge, expressing concern over the UDF government's "unethical stance" in branding students as criminals and registering numerous baseless cases against them. He noted that over 5,000 cases have been filed against students and youth in Kerala in connection with protests over the NEET question paper leak.
Vijayan emphasized that this double standard sends a dangerous message that may lead to a suppression of freedom of expression and the right to dissent.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
