Central University of Kerala seminar sparks violence, 4 students injured
Things got heated at the Central University of Kerala in Kasaragod on Tuesday, where a seminar marking 150 years of Vande Mataram turned violent and left at least four students injured.
The event featured J Nandakumar, national convenor of Prajna Pravah, an RSS frontal organization, and it sparked strong pushback from student groups who felt their voices were being sidelined.
Student groups protest over RSS invite
Student activists from SFI, KSU, and MSF led the protest, objecting to Nandakumar's presence and what they saw as an attempt to bring RSS influence into campus spaces.
Although some had preregistered for the event, they said they weren't allowed in.
Tensions escalated with placards reading "No to RSS and saffronisation" and slogans against the RSS, and the incident quickly drew political attention: Leader of Opposition and former CM Pinarayi Vijayan slammed both the university's invitation to an RSS figure and the police response, saying, "The politics behind the seminar is very clear. If it is academic progress, then what justification do university officials have in inviting an RSS leader? Students who had registered for the event were denied entry."