Apparently to insult their Principal, a group of Left-leaning SFI students of the prestigious 127-year-old Government Victoria College here allegedly prepared a symbolic 'grave' for her as a 'retirement gift'.
Following a complaint by the Principal, Dr T N Sarasu, who retired on March 31, police have registered cases under various sections of IPC against some SFI students.
Sarasu alleged that the students had acted on the behest of "some members" of All Kerala Government College Teachers Union, owing allegiance to the Left.
In her complaint to police, Sarasu has named at least eight SFI students who had prepared the 'symbolic grave' inside the college campus and had strewn it with flowers and placed a wreath at about 7 am on March 31.
Some other students, who witnessed the act, informed the principal.
"I had been their Principal and had not given in to their unjust demands which could have angered them," Sarasu told PTI.
"I have done my work truthfully. A lot of good work was done during my period," she said, adding, she had worked in the college as Zoology professor for 27 years before taking over as Principal this academic year.
Former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan, 'Metroman' E Sreedharan, former Kerala Chief Minister E M S Namboodiripad, writer and cartoonist O V Vijayan were among the illustrious students of the college.
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Condemning the incident, BJP state president Kummanam
Rajasekharan said it was a "disgrace to humanity".
"We can imagine how SFI activists will behave towards others, if their behaviour was like this towards their teacher, who hadimparted lessons to them for over 20 years," he said.
In an apparent reference to recent attacks by CPI(M) activists on BJP workers in poll-bound Kerala's Kannur district, Rajasekharan said these students would not hesitate to physically eliminate their political rivals when they grow up.
CPI(M) leadership should take stern steps to rein in their student activists, he said, adding, the cultural leaders, who had reacted on anti-dalit incidents, were now silent on the issue and it was "disgraceful".
