Kasaragod: The Central University of Kerala has revoked the suspension of five students who allegedly took part in a protest that disrupted a presentation during a national seminar on Vande Mataram. The inquiry into the incident is still pending.

In his orders, Proctor Sreekumar P said the revocation of suspension shall not be construed as exoneration of the students from the allegations under inquiry. The matter shall remain subject to further action based on the findings of the inquiry committee, he said.

The five suspended were: SFI CUK secretary Syed Ali S, a second-year MSW student; NSUI unit president Mohammed Yasin, an MA English student; Muslim Students Federation (MSF) leader Taqiyuddin, a Computer Science student; MSF activist Shabeer; and SFI activist Aaved V B, a student of the Department of International Relations and Politics. They were suspended for two weeks on October 8 for disrupting the presentation of the proctor during the Vande Mataram seminar on October 7.

The campus saw massive protests on October 6 and 7, when the Sahitya Akademi, in collaboration with the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, an organisation affiliated with the RSS, organised the national seminar to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. Students had protested against the presence of RSS leaders at the event.

The suspensions triggered more protests on campus, with students demanding that the orders be withdrawn. The university allowed the students to return to their classes and hostels as the original two-week suspension period ended on October 22.