Fake certificate row in Kerala: SFI expels leader; BJP, Cong intensify attack

Under attack from various quarters over the fake certificate charges, the Students' Federation of India (SFI), on Tuesday expelled its leader Nikhil Thomas from the primary membership of the outfit.

SFI is the students' wing of the ruling CPI (M).

The expulsion was formerly announced by SFI state secretary P A Arsho.

Thomas had done something which should never be done by an SFI worker, he said in a statement.

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A former leader of the Left student outfit in Kayamkulam-based MSM college, Thomas has been facing charges of submitting a fake certificate to get admission to the institution.

The Kerala Students' Union (KSU) has been alleging that Thomas had obtained an M Com seat in the same college after submitting a "fake degree certificate".

The KSU, the student organisation of the Congress has been claiming that Thomas failed in the B Com degree course at MSM college but during M Com admission, he provided a certificate from Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress and the BJP today continued their attack against the ruling CPI (M) and SFI over the fake marklist and certificate controversy and accused them of completely destroying the higher education sector of the southern state.

The Left government is humiliating the state in front of the world and the present situation in Kerala is that anyone can study any course in any college if he or she has forged documents, the BJP alleged.

Stepping up the attack against the CPI (M) over the raging row, BJP state chief K Surendran said the college and university authorities could not take action in any such cases of complaint due to the undue interference by the ruling party.

Even the college managements said that they were forced to give admission to the SFI leaders due to the recommendations by the Marxist Party leadership, he further said.

Surendran was referring to the controversial revelation by the manager of MSM college that Nikhil Thomas was given admission under the recommendation of a CPI(M) leader.

Putting the ruling party in a dock, P A Hilal Babu, the college manager, told reporters today that he could not reveal the name of the leader as it would spoil his political career.

Pointing out the issues, the BJP chief further said his party would conduct statewide protests against such practises.

"The BJP will give a lead to the struggles to protect the higher education sector beyond politics. We will approach the Union Education Ministry with available evidence in this regard," he said.

The party would continue it's fight through the legal channels as well, Surendran added.

Meanwhile, the Congress leadership also made scathing attacks against the Marxist party and the state government over the fake certificate and marklist row.

Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, V D Satheesan said more exam related malpractices happening in colleges and universities in the state would come out in the coming days.

The ruling CPI(M) is encouraging the SFI leaders who have maligned and destroyed the credibility of the higher education sector, he alleged.

However, police had registered cases against journalists and innocent KSU activists in a case lodged by such fraudsters, the LoP said referring to the recent Maharaja's College marklist controversy involved by SFI state secretary P M Arsho.

"The police are with the criminals. Innocent people are being hunted down by them. This is a disgrace to the state itself," he added.

After the fake experience and marklist allegations cropped up against some present and former leaders of the SFI, Nikhil Thomas faced charges of submitting a fake certificate to get admission.

Kerala University Vice Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal on Monday said the allegation that the SFI leader has submitted a fake certificate to secure his admission for an M Com course is a serious one and the varsity will approach the police to investigate the incident.

MSM College manager Hilal Babu today said Thomas has been suspended from the institution.

Meanwhile, a police team, which is investigating the case, visited the college and recorded the statement of the principal in this regard.