THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The attack on KSU leaders by SFI workers at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Law College on Tuesday night precipitated a verbal showdown in the assembly between Opposition Leader V D Satheesan and CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Moving a submission on the incident, Satheesan said KSU leaders and members were attacked by SFI members in the presence of police. He said a woman leader of KSU was attacked in the Law College and another KSU woman leader was attacked in Kattappana Government College. A techno park employee and his son were attacked near Kazhakootam by a SFI leader. But the police were turning a blind eye to the incidents of violence. The parents of the women students are anxious about sending their wards to colleges due to attacks by SFI members. "SFI workers and goons cannot be differentiated," Satheesan said, inviting a strong response from the treasury bench.
The CM in combative move did not budge and said Satheesan was behaving like a Youth Congress/KSU leader. He said Satheesan's comments about the SFI were deplorable and there should be a limit in abusing a leading students outfit. "The SFI got recognition among students for speaking for girls also. Thousands of its members are girls. The SFI is growing and intolerance to that is showing in the Opposition Leader," CM shot back.
Satheesan was not ready to give up and said the CM should not lower himself to the status of a party secretary, who gave orders to eliminate political rivals. He alleged that the CM was giving licence to a group of people to do anything in the campuses and staged a walkout with his partymen in protest.
The CM in his second response launched a scathing personal attack against Satheesan and said the latter was losing his mental balance over his party's diminished political performance.
Will take legal action, says CM
The CM said those injured in the Law College clashes were admitted to the Medical College hospital and the Museum police have registered a case over the incident. He said students from KSU and SFI were injured in the clashes and adequate legal action will be taken on the matter.