I was pushed, they tried tearing my clothes, and was slapped so hard that I fell down. I was shocked," said TP Sreenivsan.
A student union leader, who in a video footage was seen slapping and manhandling former Indian ambassador to the UN TP Sreenivasan along with other student activists in Thiruvanthapuran, was arrested on Saturday.
The Students Federation of India was protesting against "commercialization of education", when their leader, J S Sarath, was reportedly seen slapping the former diplomat. Mr Sreenivasan, in his 70s, fell down on the road outside the Leela Convention Centre and was seen being helped by a person, while a number of police personnel were present at the location.
The students were later arrested and removed, police said.
Mr Sreenivasan who is also the Vice-Chairman of Kerala's Higher Education Council told NDTV, "I was told by the police constable that I can't go inside the summit venue by car because of the protests. So I walked through them, thinking I could talk them out of the protests. But I was unwise. I was pushed, they tried tearing my clothes, and was slapped so hard that I fell down. I was shocked."
The student wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist was opposing a Global Education Summit 2016 being held in the city to explore possibilities of partnerships with foreign universities. The summit had around 23 foreign delegates from 10 countries among the 200 people present.
The protest on January 29 outside the convention centre turned violent after the students realised that Mr Sreenivasan who was trying to enter the convention centre was one of the organisers of the summit.
The four police personnel present at the protest spot have been recommended for a year of vigorous training, along with departmental proceedings against them, the police said.
The physical assault was widely condemned on social media. CPM district secretary Kadakampally Surendran had tendered an apology and the assaulter was also removed from the post of district vice-president.