Students' protests, politically motivated

The protests orchestrated at the Higher Education Ministry by the JVP affiliated Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) were politically motivated, a senior official of the Higher Education Ministry said.

The IUSF, a movement prone to violence has a hidden agenda directed against the government. Most of the students were first year students from Peradeniya and Rajarata Universities. Extremist elements among the senior students have misled the freshers, he said.

The University authorities should take stern action to maintain law and order in the Universities so that the extremist elements could be checked. Authorities should handle such situation carefully considering 1971 and 1987-1989 JVP insurgencies, he said.

Meanwhile the Colombo Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli remanded 21 undergraduates who had been arrested by the police for forcibly entering the premises of the Higher Education Ministry premises, till October 29.

Cinnamon Gardens police filing the B report told the magistrate that about 3,000 students protesting against the remanding of six students of Peradeniya and Rajarata universities had forcibly entered the ministry premises around 4.30 p.m. on Thursday toppling barriers and assaulting police personnel on duty at the ministry. The suspects are alleged to have caused damage to public property including a vehicle belonging to the Minister of Higher Education and a police motorcycle.

The police informed the Court that three suspects were admitted to the National Hospital and inquiries were being conducted to arrest some more suspects.

- LSAW