THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A A Rahim, a CPM-backed Syndicate member of the University of Kerala, has landed in trouble after a woman faculty member approached the state police chief on Tuesday with a complaint that he led a group of SFI activists who allegedly subjected her to physical and mental harassment during a recent protest at the University.
T Vijayalakshmi, who is the director of student services, also accused Rahim of threatening to kill her during the agitation by SFI workers on March 30. The SFI workers had gheraoed Vijayalakshmi and Pro Vice Chancellor N Veeramanikandan demanding immediate release of the last instalment of funds for conducting the university youth festival.
In her complaint, Vijayalakshmi said the SFI workers staged the protest even after she agreed to release the money. Vijayalakshmi said she was not even allowed to move for over three-and-a-half hours by the SFI workers led by Rahim.
“They threatened to kill me if I did not sign the cheque. Meanwhile, women SFI activists pulled my hair and stabbed me with pens. They also showered abuses on me and accused me of indulging in immoral activities. I believe Rahim entered into a conspiracy with the women protesters to attack me,” Vijayalakshmi said.
She alleged that university union chairperson Ashitha, union secretary Amal and SFI district secretary Prathin Saj Krishna were among those who led the agitators. The students dispersed only after making her forcibly sign the cheque, she alleged.
‘Complaint false’
Rahim refuted the allegations saying a false complaint has been lodged against him at the insistence of Vice-Chancellor P K Radhakrishnan. “I had highlighted the Vice-Chancellor’s discriminatory stand against Dalit members of the Syndicate.
This complaint is borne out of vendetta for raising the issue repeatedly in Syndicate meetings,” Rahim said. The CPM-backed Syndicate member said though the SFI workers were quite agitated during the protest, they had not used any derogatory words against Vijayalakshmi or physically assaulted her as claimed in the complaint.
“The entire media crew was present during the protest. An examination of the video footage would reveal that nothing of the sort that is alleged in the complaint took place during the protest,” he added.