THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, in an open letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the first death anniversary of 20-year-old veterinary science student Sidharthan, said the state was witnessing increasing incidents of ragging as the government failed to take action against the accused SFI activists. He also urged Pinarayi to tender a public apology to the parents of Sidharthan, a student of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, who was found hanging in his hostel in Pookode, Wayanad, on February 18, 2024.
Chennithala said the CBI chargesheet mentioned the brutal physical assault and public trial Sidharthan underwent, and said it should be suspected that Sidharthan was hanged.
“Your government has been eagerly attempting to ensure all protection to the SFI workers behind the brutal attack. Isn’t it evident that all these attempts were made with the knowledge of the CPM and the police force under your control,” asked Chennithala. He said the Left government’s attempts to protect the SFI workers involved in the ragging case would be shameful for cultural Kerala.
“Only because you protected the accused, just because of their SFI leanings, that incidents of brutal ragging as in Kottayam, are repeated,” alleged Chennithala.