Disruption of convocation at Maharaja’s College: Minister Roji says govt. will not yield to unacceptable protests

Roji M. John | Photo Credit: file photo There is no ban on anyone protesting peacefully and democratically, but the government has no intention to yield or surrender to protests crossing those limits, said Higher Education Minister Roji M. John.“I am not someone who views the act of raising a banner or a placard as a problem. Rather, I see such actions as part of the democratic process. However, certain norms and a sense of decorum must be observed when staging a protest,” Mr. John said while addressing the media here on Saturday (October 31, 2026).The Minister was referring to the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) protest during the convocation ceremony at Maharaja’s College on Friday (October 30, 2026), when SFI activists allegedly disrupted his speech. The protest was reportedly staged to seek answers from the Minister over the suspension of 16 students of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady.The Minister said a convocation ceremony carried its own dignity and decorum. “A convocation ceremony represents a dream for a student as well as for their parents. We fully embrace democratic and peaceful forms of protest. I simply wanted to ensure that the decorum of such an occasion was maintained. That is why I asked the protesting students to wait, assuring them that I would answer their questions afterwards,” the Minister added, recalling the incident.“Whether student politics should be pursued by disrupting events such as a convocation is a matter for the respective organisations to decide. In any case, we cannot agree with such an approach under any circumstances,” he added.Disciplinary actionThe Minister further said that the university, not the government, was responsible for taking action on matters concerning student discipline. “The university has the authority to do so. It falls within the university’s mandate to initiate disciplinary action against a student and to review or reconsider such action. It is not the government that makes decisions on these matters,” he added.Meanwhile, students who could not receive their certificates directly from the Minister during the convocation ceremony have expressed a desire to collect them from him personally, according to a communication from the Minister.On Saturday, Ajmi Basheer, an MA Islamic History student and first-rank holder, arrived at the venue of an event attended by the Minister and received her certificate from him. Published - October 31, 2026 07:57 pm IST