Protests erupt at University of Kerala as SFI breaches security during Governor’s visit

Tensions rise at University of Kerala as SFI activists storm campus during Governor's seminar, sparking security concerns.

The University of Kerala saw heightened tensions on Tuesday (December 17, 2024) after a group of Students Federation of India (SFI) activists broke through police security to storm the university campus at Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram.

This occurred as Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who also serves as the Chancellor of the university, participated in a seminar.

Security had been tightly enforced throughout the morning due to anticipated protests against Mr. Khan’s visit to Kerala University for the first time in two years. The seminar was organised by the Department of Sanskrit, but the Governor’s participation led Left-backed Syndicate members to boycott the event, further accusing Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal of bypassing the university’s decision-making bodies.

Shortly after Mr. Khan arrived at the Senate Hall for the programme, around 11.30 a.m., SFI activists, led by State president K. Anusree, forcibly entered the campus by breaking open the locked main gate. Despite the police’s efforts to disperse the protesters using water cannons and other means, the activists persisted.

The security breach was particularly concerning as Kerala Raj Bhavan had previously raised alarms about similar incidents at events involving the Governor.

The protesters then laid siege to the locked entrances of the Senate Hall, creating panic among the police. Attempts to forcibly remove the protesters failed, and the police had to retreat to prevent further escalation.

Eventually, the protesters left the campus on their own, chanting slogans against both the Governor and the Vice-Chancellor, accusing them of attempting to saffronise the university.