Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 15 -- Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday defended the registration of a Zero FIR in connection with the alleged assault of NSUI activist and law student Athira Vijayan during a protest in Delhi, saying that participating in a protest or expressing dissent was not a crime.

Chennithala accused Delhi Police of committing a serious mistake and said the state government was exploring all available legal options based on Athira's complaint.

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennithala said, "It is clear that the Delhi Police committed a very serious mistake. The most important point is that a student named Athira participated in a protest there. Athira, an NSUI leader, was brutally assaul...