Click to play videoKottayam, Kerala: Campus politics in Kerala, which are usually violent at the best of times, have taken a decidedly ugly turn when a scuffle between rival student politicos resulted in the death of a policeman.
Assistan Sub-Inspector Eliyas succumbed to injuries he sustained while trying to break up a scuffle between ABVP and SFI activists at the Changanassery NSS College on Friday. The activists had clashed over the recently concluded college union elections. Four others were injured in the incident.
Police have also recovered arms from the college campus in the wake of which several raids have been conducted at the RSS and BMS offices. Five people, including a local RSS functionary, have been taken into custsody and the college has been temporarily shut down.
State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has announced a high level enquiry into the matter, which is to be headed by an Inspector General of Police.
"Police were posted in the campus to maintain law and order," said the minister. "It looks liked ABVP and RSS workers planned this between them."
While the CPM-led state government has put the blame squarely on the Sangh Parivar, the BJP insists that it is being unfairly targetted. Ninety per cent colleges are controlled by the Students Federation of India - the youth wing of the CPI-M
It is no surprise that college elections become violent, for it is a phenomenon seen across Kerala.
Though there have been several instances in the past when students from SFI or ABVP got killed, this has been the first time the person who maintained law and order became a casualty.
A strike is on at Kottayam to protest Eliyas's death.
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