All-party meet decides to settle Markaz controversy

KOZHIKODE: The all-party meeting held at Kunnamangalam panchayat office on Monday decided to settle the issue with Markaz management amicably, after the protest by the students turned violent a few days ago and many of them were arrested, including local political leaders. The Indian Union Muslim League  protested against the arrest of Youth League leader O. Saleem and staged a sit-in in front of the Kunnamangalam police station in the early hours of Monday. However, the CPM abstained from the all-party meeting chaired by panchayat president T.K. Zeenath. Vice-president and Congress representative Vinod Padanilam, IUML leader K.P. Koya, members Leena Vasudevan and Shameena Vellakkatt and Welfare Party leader E.P. Anwar Sadath attended the talks.

Though the protesting students had threatened to continue the strike and erect a  ‘pandal,’  the police foiled their attempts.  The Markaz management  alleged that the IUML was behind the controversy. However, M.K. Muneer MLA dismissed it as  baseless. He said that those who protested against the management were students and not IUML workers. Congress and IUML only supported the  genuine protest by the students, who were betrayed by offering a course without recognition, the MLA said. He added that the police had taken sides with the management. The students had protested against Markaz Institute of Engineering and Technology for allegedly running courses without affiliation of the All-India Council for Technical Education. The management team on Monday met the chief minister seeking support in the issue and the state government’s recognition for students enrolled after May 2013.