Kerala Opposition Leader Blames UDF Government of Police Crackdown on Student Protests

Pinarayi Vijayan, leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly, used a Facebook message to charge the UDF government with deploying police to suppress democratic protests. He highlighted two recent episodes: a purportedly intoxicated officer violently beating Students Federation of India activists in Palakkad, and a lathi assault on members of the Communist Party of India’s student wing at a Kerala University hostel on September 30.

Vijayan argued these cases show the Home Department’s negligence and warned that unchecked police aggression could trigger widespread public unrest. He added that the officer involved in the Palakkad incident was removed only after the issue was raised in the Assembly, and that no disciplinary measures have been taken against the officers who attacked the university protesters or threatened students online. The opposition leader urged the government to immediately rein in the police and ensure lawful conduct.