Holi celebrations at the Government Law College, Barton Hill, Thiruvananathapuram on Monday turned violent and led to a clash, after a group of students objected and allegedly beat up the others who were taking part in it.
The clash occurred at around 3pm on Monday. Museum police registered a case against eight SFI activists based on a complaint lodged by Vishnu Unnithan, a final semester student. Vishnu alleged in his complaint that the students affiliated to the SFI began beating him and his friends while they were celebrating Holi.
“As per the information we got, it was a factional feud in the SFI that resulted in the clash. The students who organised the celebration were SFI activists earlier, but later parted ways. The SFI’s plan was to celebrate Holi tomorrow. The move of the other students to do so on March 13 provoked the SFI activists,” said Sub Inspector Museum police station Sunil G.
Police maintained that only Vishnu got injured in the accident whereas some reports suggested that five students were injured. “Vishnu was admitted to the Government Medical College and later discharged,” the SI added.
Interestingly, the SFI also filed a complaint with the police saying that its members were beaten by a group of students. The police are yet to verify the complaint.
According to SFI Thiruvananthapuram district secretary Pradin Saj Krishna, the issue has been settled by talking with the students. “We discussed the issue with all the students, from both the groups at the SFI office on Monday. It can’t be termed as a political issue involving the SFI. It was a tiff between students,” he told The News Minute.