Thiruvananthapuram’s Kerala University and Raj Bhavan became battlegrounds for intense protests by Left-affiliated groups, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). The unrest targeted Vice Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the university’s Chancellor, over the suspension of Registrar K S Anil Kumar.

The protesters accused the administration of attempting to "saffronise" higher education under the influence of the Sangh Parivar.

The SFI marched to Raj Bhavan, where activists climbed barricades, defying police water cannons and threats of tear gas. Undeterred, they vowed to protect the "Kerala model" of education from ideological interference. At the university, AISF protesters were arrested near the administrative block, while DYFI members clashed with police outside the gates, braving water cannons and chanting against Kunnummal and Arlekar.

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The protests stem from Kumar’s suspension on July 2, after he canceled a private event at the Senate Hall—attended by Governor Arlekar—due to a controversial Bharat Mata portrait with a saffron flag. The demonstrators, backed by the CPI(M)-led state government, condemned the suspension as illegal, alleging Kunnummal overstepped his authority.

The university Syndicate later revoked the suspension, escalating tensions as Acting Vice Chancellor Ciza Thomas rejected the decision, leading to a bizarre scenario of two registrars claiming authority. With Raj Bhavan yet to act on the Syndicate’s move, the crisis deepens, threatening further unrest and legal battles.

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