Thiruvananthapuram: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan returns to the capital city today, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Kadannapalli Ramachandran and K B Ganesh Kumar to the Cabinet. All eyes are on the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), which recently drew a series of demonstrations against the Governor alleging his attempt to "saffronise the educational institutions" of the state.
The Governor, along with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will attend the oath-taking ceremony of the new ministers at 4 pm on Friday, before departing to Mumbai. The ceremony will be held in the parking lot of the Raj Bhavan accommodating at least 1,000 guests.
It is expected that the SFI will continue its protests against the governor. They had earlier vandalised his vehicle disregarding the Z plus security and were subsequently charged under various sections of the IPC, including section 124, which covers assault on the President or Governor, by the Police.
If SFI, which has vowed to continue its protests against the governor, will hit the streets with its demonstrations, it is likely to provoke the Governor. This could even constitute an uncertain situation amid the swearing-in ceremony, which the CPM and the Chief Minister are likely to wish to avoid.
The police will provide fool-proof security to the Governor’s entourage from the airport to the Raj Bhavan, thwarting any attempts by the SFI activists to wave black flags.
The Pinaray Vijayan-led LDF government has been at loggerheads with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over a series of issues, mostly about the alleged delay in deciding on bills passed by the State Legislature.
