SOUTH
Activists of Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPM, allegedly roughed up a young man and two girls in University College in the heart of Kerala capital on Thursday afternoon in an instance of moral policing.
Jijish, a young man, was rounded up and thrashed by a dozen of SFI workers for sitting with two girls and watching campus drama festival. The SFI activists also manhandled the girls who tried to save Jijish from the miscreants.
"When we questioned them, they manhandled us and threatened us. You won't see the college again; they warned us," Ashmita, one of the victims said. The SFI was taking revenge for questioning it in the past, the girls said.
SFI campus unit denied the allegations and said that the altercation took place after Jijish teased a few girl students in the campus.
Also read: Tribal student allegedly assaulted by SFI activists in Kerala
The attack on students and the moral policing in campus have put the SFI, which is drawing flak for its role in Kerala Law Academy controversy, once again under the shadow of suspicion. The moral policing by the 'progressive' students organisation is drawing sharp criticism on social media.
University College is known as the stronghold of the SFI, had made headlines in the past for the leftist student union's oppressive attitude towards other students unions. The campus had witnessed violent student protests in the past as well.