Counselling: Kerala opposes Central forces

Maintaining that it would affect the federal structure of the Constitution, the Kerala Government has opposed in the Supreme Court the demand for deployment of Central forces....

Maintaining that it would affect the federal structure of the Constitution, the Kerala Government has opposed in the Supreme Court the demand for deployment of Central forces in the state to ensure smooth conduct of “MBBS counselling” by private medical colleges.

In an affidavit filed before the apex court, Kerala denied the allegations of the consortium of private medical colleges that the LDF Government’s youth/students wings had indulged in vandalism to prevent private medical colleges from conducting the counselling programme.

According to Kerala, it was capable and willing to provide security for the counselling, and deployment of Central police forces would seriously affect the federal structure of the Constitution, as law and order was purely a state subject.

Incidentally, when asked by the apex court on the Centre’s stance, Additional Solicitor General Vikas Singh said the Union Government was willing to abide by any directions passed by the court on the issue.

Last week, the apex court chided the Kerala Government on a complaint that the LDF Government had indulged in vandalism to prevent private medical colleges from admitting students. A bench of Justices B N Aggarwal and P P Naolekar told the Kerala counsel that every individual had a right to run an educational institution and it was the duty of the state to provide them protection.

According to the consortium on June 23, when the consortium of private colleges was in the process of conducting the admission process for MBBS students, the students’ wing of the ruling LDF barged into the venue at Toc-H School auditorium and smashed furniture and window panes to disrupt the process. On Tuesday, the apex court would take up the matter for further hearing.