Talks fails on Law Academy: Students to continue stir

Thiruvananthapuram: A meeting convened by the state government to end the 25-day-long agitation of students in the Kerala Law Academy Law College here failed to arrive at an agreement following which the students resolved to intensify their stir.

Students stuck to their main demand of resignation of the Principal Lekshmi Nair for allegedly fudging attendance and internal marks, the management maintained that she had been kept away from the post for next five years.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, State Education Minister C Raveendranath said the government wanted the Academy management to appoint a new Principal. The management agreed for it. But students wanted the resignation of the present Principal, Raveendranath said.

He also denied the charge of students that minister had walked out of the meeting.

Raveendranath said he had appealed to students to end the strike and create an atmosphere for study.

However, agitating students alleged that the meeting was a farce and management had nothing new to offer other than what they said during a meeting with representatives of pro-CPI-M outfit SFI, which called off the agitation.

Meanwhile, joining the students agitation, Congress leader K Muraleedharan, MLA, and BJP State Secretary continued their fast stir in front of the Academy at nearby Peroorkada.

In a related development, BJP State President Kummanom Rajasekharan submitted a memorandum to Governor P Sathasivam seeking cancellation of affiliation of the Academy.

BJP asked Governor to give direction to Kerala University Syndicate to recommend to government to cancel the affiliation of the Academy.

Nepotism, mismanagement, harassment to students and misuse of power were some of the charges levelled by BJP against the Management.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and Opposition Leader in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala said it was “very unfortunate that the Minister had walked out of the meeting.” He wanted the government to take initiative to find a solution to the problems in the college.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) veteran and former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan maintained that the government should take back the land in the possession of Academy and used for purposes other than education.

The college is in the eye of a storm over alleged irregularities in providing internal marks and harassment of students by Lekshmi Nair, daughter of college Secretary N Narayanan Nair, a close relative of a former CPI(M) MLA.

Though the students belonging to ABVP, KSU and AISF had launched the strike demanding removal of Nair.