Pinarayi Vijayan had instituted the KK Dinesan Commission last year. (File)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been served a legal notice by a non-governmental organisation headed by "Metro Man" E Sreedharan over his government's decision to bring a legislation allowing politics in colleges.
"From burning effigies of principles to stabbing of students to murders, colleges across Kerala have been witnessing such instances. That each young person must have access to education is their fundamental right, but playing politics in campuses is not a fundamental right. And not just students, politicians from outside college campuses also promote such activities with their support," Mr Sreedharan, who heads the Foundation For Restoration Of National Values, told NDTV.
"For the sake of few students, the education and lives of a majority of students cannot be disrupted," he added.
The notice comes weeks after the state cabinet decided to bring a bill allowing political freedom in colleges. The legislation even provides for forming political student unions in private colleges.
The Kerala High Court had banned campus politics in higher education institutions through a verdict in October 2017. Following this, the state government instituted the KK Dinesan Commission, which concluded that a blanket ban on campus politics amounts to violating the fundamental rights of students.
E Sreedharan, a civil engineer by profession, is credited with changing the face of public transport in India by spearheading the Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro projects. He earned the moniker "Metro Man" while serving as the managing director of the Delhi Metro between 1995 and 2012.