Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 (IANS): Congress leader K.C. Venugopal and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday have come out strongly over the unrest at Lovely Professional University in Punjab, demanding a transparent investigation into the allegations raised by students and urgent measures to ensure the safety and return of Malayali students.
Venugopal alleged that the Punjab government was pursuing a politics of intolerance in which even the right to protest was being denied.
He also alleged serious lapses on the part of the police in handling the situation at the university.
“An intolerant politics that does not even allow people to protest is being pursued by the government,” Venugopal said.
He added that Malayali students at the university had contacted him in the wake of the clashes.
He said that all arrangements had been made to facilitate their return to Kerala.
Vijayan said the developments at the university should be viewed with utmost seriousness.
He added that the students had taken to the streets following allegations that a girl student had been sexually assaulted.
Vijayan alleged that the university management, led by its founder and Chancellor and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, had sought to suppress the students’ protest using the police and Sangh Parivar workers.
He demanded a strong response against such attempts and called for a comprehensive and transparent investigation to ensure justice.
Vijayan also demanded a no compromise probe into the role of the university management in the various issues raised by the students.
The immediate concern, he said, was the safety of the more than 1,500 Malayali students at the university.
With classes suspended for 10 days following the violence, Vijayan said that arrangements should be made to enable the students to return home safely.
The Centre and the Kerala government should urgently intervene to facilitate their journey from Jalandhar to Delhi and from there to Kerala, the CPI-M leader and former Chief Minister added.
He also called for coordination with the Railways to arrange special trains or additional coaches if required, saying that students could face a shortage of tickets.
Both Kerala leaders stressed the need to address the concerns of students and parents immediately, with Venugopal focusing on the alleged denial of the right to protest and police lapses and Vijayan demanding an impartial probe and immediate arrangements for the safe return of Kerala students.
