PM SHRI Protest Turns Tense in Kerala, Police Use Water Cannons

Police on Monday used water cannons against CPI student and youth activists protesting outside the Kerala Assembly against the PM SHRI scheme while former minister and party MLA K Rajan was addressing the gathering. 

The protest was organised by the All India Students' Federation and the All India Youth Federation, both affiliated with the CPI, demanding that the state government withdraw from the Prime Minister Schools for Rising India



scheme.

The previous LDF government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the union government for the implementation of the scheme. However, it was later put on hold following protests by the CPI and opposition parties. 

The UDF, which had campaigned against the CPI(M) over the PM SHRI issue while in the opposition, maintains that the agreement cannot be withdrawn because the previous government had signed it and received funds under the scheme.