Workers of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students Federation (AISF) clashed on the Thrissur district hospital campus on Thursday. The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them. A few AISF workers were injured in the incident.
Later, the police took five AISF workers, including district secretary N.K. Sanalkumar, into custody, which led to protest by workers of the Communist Party of India, All India Youth Federation, and the AISF.
Earlier, two students were injured in a clash between SFI and AISF workers at Vyloppilly college, Ollur. They were admitted to the Thrissur district hospital. AISF and AIYF workers who came to the hospital to visit the injured students clashed with SFI workers on the hospital campus.
Meanwhile, CPI leaders, including P. Balachandran, MLA, and district secretary K.K. Valsaraj, protested against the police action. They alleged that the police were biased and took only AISF activists into custody in connection with the incident. The AISF activists were later shifted to a hospital.
Condemning the police action, Mr. Valsaraj said the AISF workers, including the district secretary, were tortured and dragged to the police jeep without any provocation.
AISF and AIYF activists later took out a protest march in the city protesting against violence by SFI activists.