THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: SFI and KSU activists of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College clashed on the college campus on Wednesday morning resulting in injuries to two KSU members. The college and the hostel has been closed for three days following the incident.
‘’Two KSU members were hospitalised and discharged after being administered first aid. The tension has now eased on the campus and a compromise will be worked out soon,’’ a police official said. Sridesh and Vishnu Reghu, both fourth year students in the college, were the two injured. According to Medical College police, the incident was a sequel to a verbal clash in the hostel mess on Tuesday night over an issue following which the SFI had called for a strike on Wednesday. The KSU members who walked into the campus in the morning were stopped by the SFI members and an altercation followed.
It is learnt that Medex, the all-Kerala medical exhibition organised by the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Union, which is controlled by the SFI, was the bone of contention between the two parties. The KSU activists had alleged corruption and anomalies in the conduct of the medical exhibition and there was minor tension between the two sides during the past one week.
‘’It was one of the smoothly-conducted exhibitions and a huge success. This had irritated the KSU members since the beginning. They harassed the convenor of Medex at the hostel mess on Tuesday night and one of our members who intervened was beaten up.
We called the strike and they tried to create problems and this led to the conflict,’’ said union chairman Vineeth Mohan of SFI.
The KSU activists said that the students who were posted for Community Medicine practice were the ones targeted by the SFI.
“We had raised the discrepancies with regard to conduct of Medex which provoked them. They have been having their way for years now. Now that the government has changed, they are more frustrated,’’ said a KSU unit member of the college.
The KSU members also alleged that the college principal had listened to only one side and had served suspension to 12 KSU members, including many who were not even present at the campus. A total of 19 students have been served suspension.