Kerala: SFI activist stabbed to death in Idukki

He was later taken into custody, police said.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death and said attempts to create violence in campuses cannot be accepted.The murder of Dheeraj Rajendran, a student of Idukki Painavu Government Engineering College and an SFI activist, is extremely sad and highly condemnable.

A Students Federation of India (SFI) activist was stabbed to death at the Idukki Engineering College here on Monday, allegedly by Youth Congress activists, police said.

Dheeraj Rajendan (21), a Kannur resident, and two others were attacked at around 1 PM, they said.

''College election works have been going on in the college for the last few days. There were minor issues between both the student organisations. He was shifted to a medical college here but could not be saved,'' police told PTI. Abjijith and Amal are the two other students who were injured in the attack. Police said the condition of one person is serious. Police said as per preliminary investigation, it was a Youth Congress district leader Nikhil Paily who reached the college with a gang from outside and stabbed Dheeraj and others and escaped from the campus. He was later taken into custody, police said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death and said attempts to create violence in campuses cannot be accepted.

''The murder of Dheeraj Rajendran, a student of Idukki Painavu Government Engineering College and an SFI activist, is extremely sad and highly condemnable. Attempts to create violence in college campuses will not be allowed under any circumstances. Police have been directed to bring Dheeraj's killers to justice as soon as possible,'' Vijayan said.

Higher Education Minister R Bindu said a gang led by a Youth Congress leader entered the college and attacked the students.

''A student was killed. Another is in serious condition in the hospital. The government will take all necessary steps to bring to justice those who were part of this brutal murder. We will ensure that such violent acts are not repeated on the campuses. Ideology should be fought with ideology and not with weapons,'' Bindu said.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters that the murder was pre-planned and this was the 21st Left worker killed in the state in the last six years. ''We condemn the murder of Dheeraj. When the Congress was sure that they would lose in the college election, the youth congress workers from outside attacked the SFI students. This is their plan to make campuses in the state a breeding ground for violence...21 CPI(M) workers have been killed in the state in the last six years by BJP, Congress and the SDPI. They should end the politics of violence,'' Balakrishnan said. He alleged the Congress was trying to destroy the law and order situation in the state. Meanwhile, state Congress chief K Sudhakaran said his party will not support any sort of violence.

''Let the people of Kerala decide who is more violent. Can anyone provide any details about any campus in the state where KSU (Students wing of Congress) has called for an attack. We all know who is behind all the attacks. It's the SFI which terrorises campuses. They don't have any right to blame us. They need to introspect the reason behind the murder,'' Sudhakaran told the media.

Hundreds of students and senior Left leaders, including MLAs, have gathered at the Idukki Medical college where the body of the student activist has been kept.

The incident also sparked protests by the activists of SFI and DYFI in other parts of the state.

Tension prevailed in Malappuram as a protest march organised by the DYFI activists passed near the venue of a Congress convention attended by KPCC chief Sudhakaran.

Youth Congress workers attending the convention countered the DYFI activists by raising slogans. Workers of the Youth Congress and the DYFI came close to exchanging blows, leading to a tense situation in the area. Later, leaders of the Congress and the CPI(M) managed to pacify the groups.

In Ernakulam, activists of the SFI and the KSU clashed at a college. Students injured in the clash have been admitted to various hospitals in Kochi, police said. The Congress alleged that the protesting SFI and DYFI activists destroyed flag posts of the party and its student outfit KSU in many places including Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Idukki.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)