Kollam: The Union Home Ministry on Saturday provided CRPF's Z Plus security to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan following his impromptu sit-in protest against SFI's black flag agitation. The SFI activists raised banners and shouted slogans against him at Nilamel, the northern end of Thiruvananthapuram district bordering Kollam.
"Union Home Ministry has informed Kerala Raj Bhavan that Z+ Security cover of CRPF is being extended to Hon'ble Governor and Kerala Raj Bhavan," the Governor posted on social media platform X soon after the incident
Raj Bhavan sources said that after the protest, the Prime Minister's Office called the Governor on the phone and inquired about the matter. It is reported that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also called the Governor on the phone.
The Governor stated that the police's lenience towards the protestors was a direct result of instructions from the Chief Minister.
“I do not have a problem with the black flag protest from a distance. But they attacked the car. According to the police, there were only 17 protestors. But please take a look at the number of policemen. Why couldn't they control these agitators,” the Governor said in disbelief. Khan also questioned whether such a lax security scenario would be acceptable if the Chief Minister were in his position. He added that he couldn't blame the police as they were acting on instructions from authorities.
“Daily wagers hired by the CM were involved in the protest. "He is giving direction to the police to give protection to these lawbreakers against whom many criminal cases are pending in the court,” he said.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday boldly stepped out of his car at Nilamel in Kollam to confront SFI workers who were protesting against him. The Governor, who sat down at a nearby tea shop, refused to budget until an FIR was registered against the agitators. An FIR was lodged against 17 SFI activists under non-bailable provisions of the law.
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. Muraleedharan also said the CM should realise that the Governor cannot be deterred by such moves.
Muraleedharan said that if the media were present at the protest site, it means that even the state intelligence knew about the agitation beforehand 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. Sivankutty said that no Governor of any state in the country has behaved in this manner and Khan was deliberately acting like this without considering the position he holds.
Khan and the Left government have been at loggerheads over several issues, primarily about the functioning of universities in the state and his non-signing of certain bills passed by the assembly. Amid the face-off, on Thursday, the Governor had finished his customary policy address to the Kerala Assembly within two minutes, reading out only the last paragraph.