Pleader appointment row: Kerala CM meets KSU chief; decision awaited on ex-SFI appointee

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Students Union (KSU) state president Aloshious Xavier on Monday met Chief Minister V D Satheesan and raised the student body's objections to the appointment of a former Students' Federation of India (SFI) leader as a government pleader.

The meeting is significant as KSU, the student wing of the ruling Congress, and SFI, affiliated with the opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM], are long-time political rivals on Kerala's college campuses.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Xavier said he was satisfied with the discussion.

He said he had placed all the KSU's complaints and concerns regarding the appointment before the chief minister.

"The chief minister heard us patiently. It is now for the government to take a decision. We hope it will be a positive one. This is our government and our chief minister," Xavier said.

When asked whether Satheesan had assured him that the controversial appointment would be put on hold, Xavier declined to give a direct answer. He said he had only conveyed the KSU's concerns to the chief minister and was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.

Meeting comes amid differences over appointment

Xavier also rejected suggestions that the KSU, the Congress' student wing, was heading for an open confrontation with the Congress-led UDF government. He said it would be inappropriate to speculate on the government's decision before it was made.

The meeting comes amid reports of differences between the KSU and the chief minister over the appointment of the former SFI leader as a government pleader.

The controversy escalated after Satheesan said last week that government pleaders were appointed on the basis of merit and recommendations, and that the government would not function under pressure from political parties or student organisations.

The issue gathered further attention following reports that the chief minister had ignored Xavier during a college programme in Kochi earlier this week, drawing criticism from sections within the Congress and on social media.