CPI(M) accuses UDF of weaponizing law against student activists

The CPI(M) district secretariat in Kozhikode has lodged a formal protest against what it claims is politically motivated prosecution of student leaders. According to the party, authorities have invoked stringent non-bailable provisions under the new criminal code against district-level functionaries of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) in connection with an incident on a college campus.

The party characterizes the move as an abuse of state machinery by the ruling United Democratic Front coalition. The CPI(M) argues that the severity of charges—which typically require arrest and deny bail—is disproportionate to the nature of the alleged campus incident and appears designed to intimidate student activists affiliated with the party.

The SFI, the student wing of the CPI(M), has a significant presence in Kerala's educational institutions. Kozhikode, home to several major colleges and universities, has historically witnessed student activism and occasional campus tensions. The party's allegations suggest escalating friction between the ruling coalition and opposition-aligned student organizations.

The incident underscores broader political tensions in Kerala, where student politics often mirrors factional divisions between rival parties. The CPI(M) has called the legal action an attempt to suppress legitimate student activism and democratic expression, while officials from the UDF have not yet issued a formal response to the allegations.