Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has condemned the alleged move by the Veterinary and Animal Sciences College at Pookode in Wayanad to reinstate 35 students the authorities had suspended following the suspected death by suicide of a second-year hosteller, J Siddharth, last month.
The opposition leader, V.D. Satheesan, accused the vice chancellor of readmitting the students without seeking legal advice.
Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Satheesan termed the decision suspicious and said it would open the door to undermine the case against the Students Federation of India (SFI) accused of “killing” Siddarth.
Sidharth’s death, allegedly due to ragging and assault by SFI activists, has rendered the left student organisation vulnerable to Opposition criticism that it routinely used wanton violence, social shaming, public trials, smear campaigns, inquisitorial methods and intimidation to sustain its “stranglehold” on college campuses.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the Bharatiya Janata Party had blamed SFI’s alleged cult of violence for the death.
The Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) leaders had staged an indefinite fast before the Secretariat to press the opposition’s demand for a CBI enquiry. Later, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Sidharth’s family and agreed to their demand to transfer the sensational case to the CBI.
Mr Satheesan said the Congress would ensure that Sidharth got justice.
