Thiruvananthapuram: CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, protesting the alleged police assault on SFI students during a protest at the University of Kerala and accusing the UDF government of taking positions favourable to the Sangh Parivar.

In his letter, Vijayan said students were peacefully protesting outside the university over the issue of singing the full version of Vande Mataram when police resorted to a “brutal lathi charge” without provocation.

He alleged that male police personnel assaulted female students and that no women police personnel were present at the spot, describing it as a serious violation of the law.

Vijayan alleges police excesses

Vijayan said there had been a consensus since the national movement to sing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram, which he said was intended to protect the country’s pluralistic character and constitutional values.

He alleged that the Sangh Parivar was now seeking to break this decades-old consensus by making the singing of the entire song compulsory.

“The Congress-led state government is also adopting the same position,” he alleged.

Vijayan also accused the Congress of taking what he called a “fascist” approach towards student protests in Kerala while opposing the alleged repression of student protests by the Centre and the Delhi Police.

Criticism over Vande Mataram

Vijayan referred to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s reported displeasure over the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram at the AICC headquarters.

“However, in Kerala, the Congress government is trying to appease the Sangh Parivar,” he alleged.

He also criticised the state government’s position before the court that the University Act could be amended in accordance with UGC regulations.

Vijayan alleged that this amounted to accepting what he described as the Governor’s “complete supremacy” over universities and accused the government of surrendering to attempts by the Centre and the Sangh Parivar to gain control of universities.

Vijayan seeks Kharge’s intervention

Vijayan urged Kharge to intervene and ask the Congress leadership in Kerala to withdraw from what he described as a policy of appeasing the Sangh Parivar and from using police force against students.

The protests took place on Tuesday following an incident at the University of Kerala during National Sports Day celebrations, where the full version of Vande Mataram was sung.

The SFI alleged that the programme was conducted in line with an RSS agenda and organised a march to the university headquarters in protest. The student organisation also alleged that police used force against protesters, including women students.
Also read | Clashes break out during SFI Secretariat march; Police lathi-charge protesters, several injured

Kerala government’s Vande Mataram stand

The UDF government had earlier directed state departments to follow the Centre’s instruction to sing the full version of Vande Mataram at Independence Day-related programmes. However, the song was not sung at the main state-level Independence Day function.

The full version was later sung at a Kerala government Onam celebration in Thiruvananthapuram on August 30 in the presence of Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan.

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has said the state government would follow the prescribed Central protocol when the President, Vice-President or Prime Minister attends a government function, while reiterating his party’s position on the recitation of Vande Mataram.