Kerala Law Academy Controversy: State Government Orders Probe Into Land Issue
Thiruvananthapuram:
As protest by students of Kerala Law Academy here against its Principal Dr. Lakshmi Nair entered the 21st day today, the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala ordered a probe into the utilisation of land assigned to the institution. State Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan directed the Revenue Secretary to hold the probe into the land utilisation by the Kerala Law Academy, sources in the Minister's office told PTI. In a major embarrassment to the LDF government, the probe order comes days after CPI-M veteran V S Achuthandanan supported the students' stir and demanded that the land alloted to the college be taken back, saying it was being utilised for purposes other than education. CPI (M), the major constituent of the LDF alliance was also reported to be in conflicts with the its students organization Student Federation of India (SFI) when the party did not responded to the demands by the students who were protesting against the KLA administration.
Kerala Law academy which is in the eye of a storm over alleged irregularities in providing internal marks and harassment of students allegedly by its Principal Dr. Lekshmi Nair, daughter of college Chairman N Narayanan Nair, a close relative of a former CPI(M) MLA. Though the students are agitating for last 21 days demanding among others the removal of the Principal, various other issues including land utilisation had been raised later. Talks held to end the stir failed last night even as police booked Lakshmi Nair under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act on a complaint of harassment by some students who alleged she called them by their caste name.
In an another setback to the Kerala Law Academy Law College (KLALC) and its principal, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today declined to intervene in a plea seeking a directive to remove the sheds constructed on either side of the road leading to the Academy-where the students and political leaders protesting against the Institute's administration.
All major political parties in the state including CPI, a key alliance partner in the CPI(M) led LDF have come out openly in support of the students who were protesting against the Dr. Lakhsmi Nair and Academy administration. The sources told PTI that the inquiry would also cover whether the land was originally allotted to the trust in the present structure that manages the KLA, which claimed itself as a private institution run by a public trust.
Students belonging to ABVP, KSU, AIYF and also pro-CPI(M) SFI are participating in the agitation, which initially evoked lukewarm response from the Marxist leadership.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Kerala Law academy which is in the eye of a storm over alleged irregularities in providing internal marks and harassment of students allegedly by its Principal Dr. Lekshmi Nair, daughter of college Chairman N Narayanan Nair, a close relative of a former CPI(M) MLA. Though the students are agitating for last 21 days demanding among others the removal of the Principal, various other issues including land utilisation had been raised later. Talks held to end the stir failed last night even as police booked Lakshmi Nair under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act on a complaint of harassment by some students who alleged she called them by their caste name.
In an another setback to the Kerala Law Academy Law College (KLALC) and its principal, a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today declined to intervene in a plea seeking a directive to remove the sheds constructed on either side of the road leading to the Academy-where the students and political leaders protesting against the Institute's administration.
All major political parties in the state including CPI, a key alliance partner in the CPI(M) led LDF have come out openly in support of the students who were protesting against the Dr. Lakhsmi Nair and Academy administration. The sources told PTI that the inquiry would also cover whether the land was originally allotted to the trust in the present structure that manages the KLA, which claimed itself as a private institution run by a public trust.
Students belonging to ABVP, KSU, AIYF and also pro-CPI(M) SFI are participating in the agitation, which initially evoked lukewarm response from the Marxist leadership.
(With inputs from PTI)
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