Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, on Friday, March 1, said the youth in Kerala were being trained to indulge in violence and bullying by certain forces, and appealed to all "not to create a cult of violence". The Governor said this while speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram soon after visiting the residence of JS Sidharthan, who was found dead at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Kerala’s Pookode on February 18. The student's death has now snowballed into a major controversy after reports surfaced of him being mob lynched and brutally assaulted by senior students.
The preliminary reports said it was a case of suicide. But following the post-mortem report, Siddarthan's family has alleged that he was murdered, and have pointed fingers at students, most of whom are attached to the CPI(M)’s student wing Students Federation of India (SFI). At least 18 students of the College have been arraigned as accused. Eight of these have been arrested, while the rest are on the run.
“Tragedies do happen, but certain forces are promoting the cult of violence in the state. Just the other day the Kerala High Court upheld the verdict of a trial court in the case of a murder of a former party leader. In that case, senior leaders of a political party are included as accused [referring to the TP Chandrasekheran murder case]. Where do you want to take the society. Young people are being trained to indulge in violence and bullying. The system has collapsed as everywhere in Kerala this is going on,” said Governor Khan.
He then went on to say, "Consequent to such crimes, the police register cases against these young people. They want to create an army of people who due to the cases cannot apply for jobs or passports. I appeal to all not to create a cult of violence."
Father of Siddarth has demanded a detailed probe and said, 'If all the accused are not arrested I will not sit idle."
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also arrived at Siddarthan's house, slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for supporting the SFI. “Siddarthan was a brilliant student and his father told me that he was adamant on not joining the SFI and that is what led to the brutal assault. Vijayan in order to cover up his negative vibes is behind the support that he extends to the SFI to engage in such acts of crime. The scenario in colleges where SFI is strong is like concentration camps. We will be with the grieving family and will ensure that justice is delivered,” said Congress general secretary.
State Minister of Animal Husbandry J Chinchurani, who is also the pro-chancellor of the BVSC institute, said the probe was underway and all aspects will be looked into. “If the dean of the institute MK Narayanan has done anything wrong, strict action will be taken. It was he who had taken Siddarth to the hospital. All aspects will be probed,” said Chinchurani.
Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said, "Siddarthan was murdered and his body hanged to make it look like a suicide. “All the brutalities happened in the hostel and it is strange that the dean and the hostel warden feigned ignorance. The SFI has turned into a criminal gang and there is fear in many campuses. Their strength comes from the support that they get from the CPI(M).”
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