By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Twenty students affiliated to the two Communist parties and 15 policemen were injured in clashes here Wednesday during protests against the Kerala government’s policy regarding admission to private medical colleges.
Students took on the police outside the state secretariat. When the police caned them, they retreated into the compound of University College, a stone’s throw distance away.
From inside the campus, the students pelted stones. This irked the police who used tear gas and entered the campus.
Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham told IANS that tear gas was used to control the student mob.
Things cooled down after the arrival of leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), including Left Democratic Front convenor Vaikom Viswan.
“(Chief Minister) Oomen Chandy is crossing limits and we will just not allow the police to take on students in this manner,” warned Viswan, while pacifying the students.
This is the second time in less than a week that police used force to tackle student agitators.
The students say that private managements have been given a free hand in the admission process.
But the Oomen Chandy government says the admission guidelines are the same as they were during the previous Left regime.