Kerala government to consider scholarship to students

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government will consider the possibility of extending scholarship to medical students belonging to poor economic background studying in self-financing medical colleges, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the Assembly today.

Vijayan was replying to a notice for an adjournment motion on the alleged police excesses on pro-Congress Kerala Students Union activists during a protest march against the 'fee hike' in self-financing medical colleges yesterday.

Responding to a demand in this regard by former chief minister Oommen Chandy, Vijayan said government will examine all possibilities to introduce a scholarship scheme on these lines.

Vijayan maintained that fees was fixed by the State Fee Regulatory Commission and "government has not either hiked or decreased the fees."

He denied the Congress-led UDF opposition charge that police lathicharged KSU activists without any provocation.

The chief minister said the protesters threw stones and indulged in violence and even tried to break the police barricade.

Hitting out at the CPI-M-led LDF government, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that treatment was denied to the injured student leaders at the medical college hospital here.

Seeking notice for the motion, Hibi Eden (Cong) alleged that police used water cannons, teargas and stun grenades on students and lathicharged them without any provocation.

Eden also was seen showing a shirt reportedly worn by a student leader that contained blood stains.

Later, the UDF opposition staged a walkout after Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan rejected their plea for a debate.