Azadi slogans, 'India is not Ram Rajya' resound in NIT Calicut

Students of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut were up in arms on Friday, 2 February, over the suspension of Vysakh Premkumar, a fourth-year engineering student, who had staged a protest on the campus against the celebrations of the Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya on 22 January.

The protesting students, including the suspended ones, chanted slogans and raised placards reading 'India is not Rama Rajya'.

Student outfits affiliated to various political parties also staged protests against the suspension of Premkumar, Deccan Herald reported.

In view of the situation, authorities of the premier institute in Kerala have decided to shut it for three days.

On 31 January, the dean of students’ welfare held Premkumar “accountable for inciting unrest and for lowering the esteem of the institute” and suspended him for a year.

On Thursday afternoon, 1 February, a large number of students blocked the gates of the institute alleging that no action was taken against those who assaulted Premkumar, the Deccan Herald reported.

Student organisations, including the CPI(M) student wing, the SFI, and the Congress’ KSU, also took up protest marches demanding the withdrawal of the suspension.

As tension mounted, the institute decided to put on hold the suspension until Premkumar's appeal against the disciplinary action could be heard, The Indian Express reported.