KSU, Youth Cong activists continue protests against fee hike

Protest marches by the activists of Kerala Students Union and Youth Congress against the hike in fees in private medical colleges in Kerala turned violent for the second day today.
The march taken out by KSU activists in front of the state secretariat turned violent after they clashed with police following which water canon was used to drive them away.
Congress MLAs--Shafi Parambil, Hibi Eden and former MLA PC Vishnunath led the march to the Secretariat.
In Malappuram, police chased away Youth Congress workers who scaled the walls of the Collectorate and tried to gain access to the Collector's chamber, police said.

Fifteen activists were arrested and three of them suffered injuries. Two policemen were also injured.
Yesterday, activists of Youth Congress marched to the Secretariat in protest against the agreement reached recently between the government and Private Medical College Association in Kerala, on issues including hike in fees, had also turned violent.

In the agreement, it had been decided to charge Rs 2.50 lakh per year for 30 per cent seats, and in 50 per cent seats between Rs 8.5 lakh to Rs 11 lakh.
In the remaining 20 per cent seats the fees will be Rs 25,000 for students from Below Poverty Line families.

Opposition parties had alleged that the government had succumbed to the demands of the association.