Students’ march turns violent, break police cordon, pelt stones

Thiruvananthapuram: Police on Thursday chased away student activists belonging to Opposition Congress and BJP when their protest marches against 'unreasonable' hike in fees for professional courses in self-financing educational institutions allegedly turned violent in Thiruvananthapuram.

Activists of Kerala Students Union, students wing of Congress, marched to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's official residence 'Cliff house' and police chased them away when the demonstration turned violent, police said.

Police said the agitators tried to break the police cordon and also pelted stones.

The demonstration by ABVP, BJP's student wing, to the secretariat on the same issue also allegedly turned violent and police made a lathicharge to disperse them, police said.

Water cannons were used against the agitating students at both places,they said.

Opposition leader in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala alleged that police was using force to suppress students' agitation.

He accused the government of registering false cases against students who participated in the stir.

Chennithala said self-financing education sector was facing a crisis due to the "inefficiency" of the state government.

He also questioned the legal right of the state government appointed Committee headed by Justice Rajendra Babu to fix fees for medical courses in self-financing medical colleges.

"State governmnent is helping the self-financing institutions," Chennithala said.

Chennithala also said state health minister KK Shailaja has no right to continue as minister as she was responsible for "crumbling of medical education" in the state.