In an emphatic show of resistance, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan took an unusual step to express his displeasure with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists who allegedly attacked his car during a protest against him. Khan boldly got out of his vehicle and sat in front of a wayside shop on the busy MC Road, demanding the arrest of the activists that he claimed were being protected by the police.
Khan left the roadside tea shop after an hour when the police registered a case against the protesters affiliated with the ruling CPI(M) party. The SFI members were staging a black-flag protest against Khan, who was going to a function at an Aashram near Kottarakkara.
“I am not upset about the black flag protest. But I was worried when they hit my vehicle,” he reportedly said.
Khan confronted the SFI activists and subsequently took a chair from a nearby shop and sat down, refusing to move until the agitators were arrested.
“I will not leave from here. Police are giving them protection,” Khan is seen angrily telling onlookers.
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The standoff continued for some time, with a large crowd gathering at the spot, including police officials and local residents.
“If the police are the ones breaking the law, who is going to uphold the law,” he asked the policemen.
This latest incident is a fresh addition to the ongoing tussle between Khan and the Left government in the state, which has been marked by disagreements over various issues, particularly the functioning of universities in the state and Khan’s refusal to sign specific bills passed by the assembly.
The tension peaked earlier this week when Khan abruptly ended his customary policy address to the Kerala Assembly after just two minutes amidst protests from the ruling party MLAs.
The SFI has been at the forefront of protests against Khan, accusing him of using his authority as Chancellor of universities in the state to appoint nominees of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to key positions in universities.
Khan has denied these allegations.
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