Kerala SFI hits streets over college verdict

In a significant development that is likely to rock the state and set off a debate, members of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the CPI(M)’s student outfit, took out protest marches openly slamming the judiciary and raising slogans against courts and the judges, in almost all districts across the state today.

This was to protest the decision of a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court, comprising Chief Justice V K Bali and Justice P R Raman, striking down several clauses in the Kerala Professional Colleges (Prohibition of Capitation Fee, Regulation of Admission, Fixation of Non Exploitative Fee and Other Measures to Ensure Equity and Excellence in Professional Education) Bill, 2006 Kerala. The bill was introduced six months back to rein in self-financing colleges, a poll promise of the Left government.

SFI state president Sindhu Joy, who inaugurated the march in Thiruvanantapuram, slammed the High Court judges in public, accusing them of wallowing in luxuries and moving away from the people.

The outfit’s national president K K Ragesh had last week made a complaint to the Chief Justice of India against Justice VK Bali who headed the bench that delivered the verdict, raising some personal allegations.