Malappuram: Tension prevailed outside the Senate Hall of the Calicut University on Thursday after SFI activists blocked the gates to prevent the entry of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's nominees to the meeting, alleging their Sangh Parivar background. Police arrested and removed several protesters after chaos escalated.
Nine Senate nominees of the Governor were stopped outside the gate of the hall. Of the 18 members newly nominated to the varsity Senate, SFI activists allowed only the CPM, League and Congress nominees to pass through.
The Left student outfit stated that the Sangh Parivar nominees would never be allowed into the hall where the Senate is meeting, and they assert that this stance will be implemented. SFI activists took control of the gate and allowed entry to nominees only after gathering information such as their names and other details.
Police forcefully arrested the protesting SFI workers after giving them five minutes to surrender.
The tension has continued in the Calicut University campus for the last week. The SFI members started their protest last Friday when the governor Arif Muhammed Khan came for a three-day stay at the guest house. The protest continued even after the governor left the campus on Monday. In such a situation, the University has convened its first senate meeting since the nominees of the governor joined the senate.
The SFI workers have blocked the nominees of the governor and it led to the tension. SFI has taken charge of the gates of the university and only allowed entry after checking the details of the members who came for the senate meeting. Meanwhile, the senate meeting has dispersed within five minutes.
A total of five agendas were taken up during the meeting. The UDF's members complained that the agendas were passed without considering the protest of the student members.
The SFI has alleged that half of the newly nominated members of the Senate are supporters of the Sangh Parivar. The university witnessed a massive protest by the SFI a few days ago when Governor Khan visited Kozhikode and stayed at the University Guest House. They accused Khan of attempting to saffronise the state's education sector.