‘CM promoting lawlessness’: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan stages roadside sit-in over SFI protest

‘CM promoting lawlessness’: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan stages roadside sit-in over SFI protest

The standoff between the Raj Bhavan and the CPI (M) government in Kerala worsened on Saturday after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan began a sit-in in front of a wayside shop in Kollam district when Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists allegedly hit his vehicle.

Khan staged the unprecedented protest at Nilamel in Kollam for more than an hour, saying, “Chief minister (Pinarayi Vijayan) is promoting lawlessness in the state. Lawlessness will not be allowed. It is the CM who is giving protection to these people. They are only the daily wagers of the chief minister. It is the CM who is responsible,” he said.

Khan only ended his protest after the police registered a case against 17 SFI activists and read out the first information report (FIR) in which non-bailable sections were included.

The SFI, the student wing of the CPI (M), has been agitating against the governor, accusing him of filling up university senates with “Sangh Parivar men”.

The drama unfolded when Khan was proceeding to attend a function at an ashram in Kollam district when a group of SFI men protested against him, raising slogans and showing black flags. A few of them who were waiting for the governor’s convoy jumped in front of his car with flags. Khan immediately stopped the car and pulled up the local police who were on duty.

Senior police officials tried to pacify Khan, who insisted on initiating action against the protestors who had disappeared from the scene. The governor also got angry with police officials for their failure to prevent the SFI activists from protesting against him.

Putting the police under pressure, Khan took a chair and sat in front of it for more than an hour. In the meantime, he was heard directing personal staff to get in touch with the offices of the Prime Minister and the Union home minister.

Later, policemen met the governor with the FIR, registering a case against 17 people, naming 12.

Before ending the protest, Khan told the media, “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?”

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“I am not blaming the police. Police are taking orders from superiors.  The chief minister 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 said.

Khan said more than 50 people were involved in the protest but the FIR was only registered against 17 people. “Police should have removed the SFI men. They did not remove them because the chief minister wanted them to do this. It is not a fight against anyone. This is lawlessness, which cannot be allowed. What treatment police had meted out to those who came near the bus of Nava Kerala Sadas (a statewide tour of the Cabinet last year)?” he said.

Last month, when SFI men had shown him black flags in Thiruvananthapuram, Khan had ventured out of his car and walked towards the protesters, saying, “Bloody criminals, come’’. Then, turning towards the police, Khan said, “How did they come near me? Who is the police officer here? They (protesters) are criminals hitting my car,” he said. He had then alleged that Vijayan had sent goons to physically hurt him.

Last week, the governor’s stand-off with the government saw him cutting short his policy address to the state Legislative Assembly to a mere 80 seconds. After the address, he had left the House in a huff.

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