Standoff between Raj Bhavan and the ruling LDF in Kerala worsened on Saturday after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, facing SFI’s black flag protest, got off his car and began a sit-in in front of a wayside shop in Kollam district, when Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists allegedly hit his vehicle.
A visibly angry Khan accused CM Pinarayi Vijayan of “promoting lawlessness in the state”. The incident took place at Nilamel in Kollam, located about 40 km from state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Khan also said he had not staged a protest but was waiting for the police to show him the FIR copy following his demand for action against the protesting members of the SFI, affiliated to the CPI-M.
The Governor sat there for two hours and left the place only after police showed him a copy of the FIR lodged against 17 SFI activists under the non-bailable provisions of the law.
Khan was on his way to Thiruvananthapuram to attend a programme in Kottarakkara in Kollam, when SFI protestors gathered on the roadside near Nilamel waving black flags and banners, stating “Sanghi Chancellor go back” — at him.
The Governor then asked the vehicle be stopped and rushed at the protestors shouted at them. He then took a chair from a shop on the busy MC Road and sat down there demanding action against the agitators.
He was heard telling his personal staff to get him the Police Commissioner or whosoever was there in his office. “Else call the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO),” he was heard saying.
When the officers there requested him to resume his journey, the Governor refused and shot back, “I will not go. You (police) were giving protection to them (protestors) here.”
“The police were standing there and giving protection to them. I will not go from here. If the police itself is breaking the law, who will uphold the law.”
Speaking to reporters later, the Governor lashed out at Vijayan and said, “When I reached here, some people tried to hit my car. I had already said I have no problem if black flags are shown from a distance. But if somebody comes near my car, then I will get down. Police say there were 17 people and you can count the number of policemen present here at the moment. My only question is if the chief minister was passing by this road, will the police allow the protestors to hit the car?”
“I am not blaming the police. Police are taking orders from superiors. The CM of the state is promoting lawlessness in the state. It is the chief minister who is giving direction to police to give protection to these law-breakers. Many of them are facing a number of criminal cases. Police are not to be blamed. The chief minister is giving protection to these people. They are the daily-wagers of the chief minister,” he added.
After the incident, the Union Home Ministry has extended Z+ security cover of CRPF to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, the Kerala Raj Bhavan said.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan told reporters that the situation “clearly indicates” that the Home Department and Vijayan, who heads it, have failed to discharge their Constitutional duties. He said that if media was present at the spot, the state intelligence knew about the agitation and therefore, either the SFI activists should have been cleared in advance or the route of the Governor changed.
State General Education Minister V Sivankutty, on the other hand, termed the incident as the “fourth show” of the Governor.
“The first show was when he got out of his vehicle while on his way to the Thiruvananthapuram airport when SFI activists waved black flags at him. The second one was the manner in which he concluded the government’s customary policy address in the Assembly. The third was his conduct during the Republic Day celebrations at the Central Stadium in the state capital and this is the fourth one,” the minister said, as quoted by PTI.
Last week, on Thursday, amid the face-off, the Governor had finished his customary policy address to the Kerala Assembly within two minutes, reading out only the last paragraph. After his address, he left the House.