Marklist controversy in Kerala: SFI challenges Congress, KSU

Press Trust of India

Thiruvananthapuram: The Students Federation on India (SFI), the students' wing of the ruling CPI(M), which was drawing flak from various corners over an alleged marklist controversy, on Friday challenged the opposition Congress and its students' wing Kerala Students' Union (KSU) to produce evidence against it as claimed by them and termed the issue as an attempt to tarnish the organisation's image.

A controversy had erupted recently after a marklist showed that SFI state secretary P M Arsho, a student of Maharaja's College in Ernakulam, had "passed" even though he did not attend any exam. In another incident, K Vidhya, a former activist of the Left wing students' outfit, also landed in trouble after she was found to have forged a fake experience certificate from the Maharaja's College to secure a teaching job at another college.

Reacting to the marklist incident, Arsho today said the college had made it clear that it was a technical error. "There was a conspiracy and it should be brought out. Normally, when a result is out, the college authorities crosscheck it physically and publish the results. In this matter, my name was included in a marklist of a batch which I am not part of. And then the KSU finds the said marklist. There was a conspiracy behind it and the probe will bring out the culprits," Arsho told the media here.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan today attacked State Higher Education Minister R Bindu and said she gave a clean chit to the SFI state secretary even before the probe has concluded. "When an investigation is going on, the Higher Education Minister is acquitting the state secretary. It's highly unusual. Now, how will the officials of the department, who are conducting the probe, do the investigation impartially?" Satheesan asked.

Satheesan alleged that the Minister was influencing the probe. "It was the SFI state secretary, who made the fake experience certificate. Now they are trying to save the state secretary and put the blame on the girl," Satheesan claimed. Arsho said despite clarifying that many other names also popped up in the result published by the National Informatic Centre (NIC), the media and the opposition were not ready to correct their stand. Arsho said the controversies were an attempt to tarnish the image of SFI.

"For the past few days, despite clarifying that I have no role in the matter, SFI is being targeted. This was a move to tarnish the image of SFI. The media, despite the clarification, refuses to correct their news," he said. When asked about the fake experience certificate matter, Arsho said the SFI had made its stand clear.

"There is no need to link the SFI in this matter. It's an act committed by an individual and there is no need to link SFI to it. If the Congress or the KSU have evidence against me or the SFI in that matter, they should release them," Arsho challenged.

KSU had alleged that in the marklist of the third semester archaeology examination list, it was shown that Arsho had passed the exam even though he did not appear for it. However, later, the college clarified that his name was seen among another batch's result and clarified it as a technical error.

The opposition had further alleged that Vidhya also got the help of the SFI leadership in forging the fake experience certificate. The CPI(M) had made it clear that if anyone had done anything illegal, he or she should have to face the legal proceedings, and there was no need for the party to protect anyone.