Former diplomat T.P. Sreenivasan was on Friday roughed up by student activists of the CPI-M when he came to attend a Kerala government seminar.
"I heard the students saying my name, so it means they knew me. I have already spoken to the commissioner of police about the incident," Sreenivasan told the media.
The Student Federation of India (SFI) activists were camped at the event venue since Thursday evening, protesting the seminar, saying it was against the interest of the state and will benefit only the private sector.
The protestors had also threatened to block Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's way to the venue.