BJP announces indefinite strike against Law Academy

Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday decided to intensify its stir against the Kerala Law Academy with former State BJP President V. Muraleedharan turning his 48-hour hunger strike, that was to have ended by noon, into an indefinite one.

The privately-run law college, run by father-daughter duo Narayanan Nair and Lakshmi Nai, recently came under fire over violation of norms.

"The situation is so grave that it's easier to list out rules followed by the management rather than the violations. We have decided to extend the present 48-hour hunger strike into an indefinite one," said State BJP President Kummanem Rajashekeran.

Activists of the All India Students Federation (AISF) -- student wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI) -- on Friday took to streets and clashed with the police in front of the State Secretariat, demanding the resignation of principal Lakshmi Nair.

The student protest, now into its third week, demands that the principal step down after they produced an audio of Nair's curt and rude behaviour.

Moreover, numerous complaints from students and parents have been made before the nine-member Kerala University Syndicate probe team in its three-day sitting, which ended on Thursday. Their report will be placed before the syndicate on Saturday.

By now every top political leader -- including former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, State Congress President V.M. Sudheeran, Rajasekheran and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, CPI State Secretary Kanam Rajendran -- has come and expressed support to the students' strike.

Established in 1968 by Narayanan Nair, who is now the institute's director, the Kerala Law Academy has among its alumni many leading politicians, judges, lawyers, high ranking police officers and bureaucrats.