Key points:
» Peroorkada police book Kerala Law Academy principal Lekshmi Nair for caste slur
» Action after dalit student files case alleging Nair abused him by calling caste name
» State Human Rights Commission had registered a case against Nair earlier
» The rights panel's case against Nair was based on a complaint that she abused some dalit students of the college by calling them caste names
Thiruvananthapuram: A case was registered under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act against Kerala Law Academy principal, Lekshmi Nair, where the students are on strike demanding her resignation.
The case has been registered under Sect 31(s) of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, which was a non-bailable offense, police said.
The case was registered on a complaint of harassment by some students for calling them by their caste names.
A group of students of the Kerala Law Academy, a private management institution, are on a war path for the past 20 days protesting against the alleged harassment and demanding the removal of the Principal, who is the daughter of a close relative of a former CPM MLA.
Congress on Monday decided to sharpen their attack against the college authorities by demanding the immediate resignation of the principal.
KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran said in the wake of the Kerala university syndicate debarring the principal for five years from examination duties and internal assessment, there was no other option left for her, but to resign. Alleging that the impasse over the issue was continuing due to the CPM's intervention, he said the CPM should not create any hurdles on the matter concerning the students agitation.
"The principal should resign and government should be prepared to make her resign. The affiliation of the college should be withdrawn and government should take it over", he told reporters here. Former KPCC president, K Muraleedharan said if the government fails to find a solution to the issue within 48 hours, he would launch an indefinite hunger strike.
BJP National Executive member, V Muraleedharan, is on an indefinite hunger strike in front of the college since Jan 20 in support of the demands of the students.
The ruling CPM, which has so far given a cold shoulder to the agitation, has said the strike by students should not be politicized.
Students organizations affiliated to various political parties, including CPM, are on strike and have made it clear that they would continue until the resignation of the principal.