Thiruvananthapuram: CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday slammed the UDF government, alleging a deliberate attempt to crush protests by Students' Federation of India (SFI) activists and drawing parallels to the Centre's handling of student demonstrations in New Delhi.

The SFI had staged a protest against the rendition of the complete version of 'Vande Mataram' during National Sports Day events at Kerala University on Tuesday, an occasion attended by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Higher Education Minister Roji M John. Police deployed water cannons before resorting to a lathicharge to clear the demonstrators. SFI leaders claimed two female activists suffered face and head injuries and required hospitalisation. A follow-up protest march on Wednesday also turned violent.

After visiting the injured students in hospital on Thursday, Vijayan accused male police officers of launching a "brutal attack" on female students.

He noted that police officers were fully aware of the dangers of targeting the head or the back of the skull. "Hitting like that caused a female student to collapse unconscious," he said, alleging that the government was trying to suppress dissent using a "police state."

"What is suspicious here is that certain officers who are notorious for such actions are present in the police force. Such individuals have been specially selected and assigned the responsibility of handling these protests in a capital city like Thiruvananthapuram," Vijayan remarked.

He further criticised the government for slapping severe legal charges, including attempt to murder, on the demonstrators. "Serious charges, including attempt to murder, are being pressed against people who participated in a protest," he noted.

Warning the administration that heavy-handed tactics would backfire and trigger widespread unrest across the state, Vijayan said, "If this is how protests are going to be dealt with, do not think that protests can be crushed through such means. A strong reaction will naturally arise across Kerala."

"It is best that this does not continue. However, we cannot normally expect the Kerala government to adopt such a stance. In recent days, we saw how the Central Government handled student protesters. If that involved severe aggression, the UDF government in Kerala is moving along a similar path," he added, urging the administration to reform its approach.

"No ruling system has ever been able to quiet or terminate protests through such repressive measures, and the UDF government would do well to remember that," he asserted.

Dismissing claims that the CPM was instigating the student body, Vijayan questioned, "Inciting students? What is the reason for students to rise up? Is it because the CPM incited them?"

He stated that the rendition of Vande Mataram inside the university mirrored practices on RSS platforms rather than the convention established by the Constituent Assembly. "Our Constituent Assembly itself had decided back then that only two stanzas of Vande Mataram should be sung. However, the RSS has always recited Vande Mataram in its entirety. The Congress had previously accepted only the first two stanzas," he noted.

He accused the UDF administration of fully endorsing the extended rendition since its swearing-in ceremony. "When Vande Mataram was sung inside the university in the same manner as on RSS platforms, student protests naturally followed. If students don't protest against such things, are they even students? Isn't that natural? That is what needs to be rectified," Vijayan said.

Defending the move, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan maintained that the state is obligated to adhere to Central protocols during functions attended by the President, Vice-President, or Prime Minister. Notably, Vande Mataram was omitted from official state government proceedings on Independence Day. (PTI)