CPI(M)-led group holds march to Sanskrit university’s Kalady campus demanding permission for suspended SFI activists to write exams as per HC order

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Sanskrit University Janakeeya Samrakshana Samithi led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) organised a march to the main campus of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS) at Kalady near here on Monday (November 2, 2026) demanding that the authorities must permit the suspended students affiliated to the Students Federation of India (SFI) to write their exams based on a directive by the Kerala High Court.

The varsity had suspended 16 students in connection with the protest led by the SFI to press its various demands while a meeting of the Syndicate was under way on August 13, 2026.

The police stopped the march at the main entrance of the campus. Besides activists of the CPI(M), the suspended students and their parents participated. S. Sathish, Ernakulam District Secretary of the CPI(M) who inaugurated the march, accused the Vice Chancellor of not complying with a directive issued by a Single Bench of the Kerala High Court permitting the students to remit the fees and appear for their exams.

He rejected reports that the agitating students had staged a mock funeral of Vice-Chancellor Ciza Thomas at the protest held on August 13 and blamed Minister for Higher Education Roji M. John of supporting the claims made by the university authorities.

Meanwhile, the university authorities issued a release rejecting claims made by the agitating students that they had used damaged lights at the Department of Theatre during the protest.

The Head of the department has informed the Syndicate that the lights were damaged during the massive floods in 2018. The university has not received any complaint about damaged lights from 2018 to March 2026. Four Vice Chancellors and Syndicates for two terms were in charge of the affairs of the university during this period. Ms. Thomas had assumed charge in March 2026, it said.

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