Kerala Assembly Erupts Into Altercation Over Allegations Against SFI

The allegations were part of a notice moved by several UDF MLAs seeking to adjourn House proceedings to discuss the purported assault of a KSU leader by SFI members at the University of Kerala.

At the Assembly, Vijayan emphasized that the police were conducting thorough investigations into all incidents without any political bias or discrimination.

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The Kerala Assembly was engulfed in uproar on Thursday as the opposition Congress accused the Students Federation of India (SFI) of engaging in criminal activities on state campuses. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan staunchly defended the Left-aligned student outfit, while countering with accusations against the Congress-backed Kerala Students Union (KSU).

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) alleged that Chief Minister Vijayan and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] were providing political cover to SFI, which they claimed was responsible for violence and criminal conduct in university campuses statewide, according to a report on PTI.

These allegations were part of a notice moved by several UDF MLAs, including M Vincent, seeking to adjourn House proceedings to discuss the purported assault of a KSU leader by SFI members at the University of Kerala campus.

The opposition's motion was promptly rejected by Chief Minister Vijayan, who stated that police had registered cases regarding the alleged assault on the KSU leader on Tuesday and the subsequent clash between the two student groups outside the Sreekaryam police station on Wednesday.

Vijayan emphasized that the police were conducting thorough investigations into all incidents without any political bias or discrimination. He called for collaboration among universities and political parties to prevent violence and maintain peace on campuses.

Defending SFI activists, Vijayan said, "Of late, SFI is being targeted and is being attacked with vested motives and interests and this is not right."

However, Satheesan said that people like CM Vijayan and the government have given all the support and defend the 'criminal acts' of SFI, as reported by IANS. 

Following the Chief Minister's response, Speaker A N Shamseer denied permission for the motion to adjourn the House, further intensifying the heated exchange between the ruling party and the opposition.

Later, as opposition MLAs shouted slogans in front of the Speaker's dais, the House swiftly completed the remaining business for the day. Shamseer announced that the assembly would reconvene on Friday.