News Brief
Kerala: Governor Arif Mohammad Khan Stages Sit-In Protest Amidst SFI Demonstration, Alleges Government-Backed Plot
Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.
In a dramatic turn of events, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has staged a sit-in protest on the road after facing a black flag demonstration by Students Federation of India (SFI) activists.
The Governor demanded the immediate arrest of the SFI workers, criticising the police for not taking swift action.
Subsequently, the police registered a case against 17 SFI workers, and they were arrested.
Governor Khan accused the administration of attempting to provoke him into drastic action, claiming a government-sponsored plot to harm him physically.
“The government wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis by engaging goons to target the governor by reining in the law enforcement. But, I am not going to oblige them (the government)“, Khan said according to The Hindu.
During the sit-in, Khan spoke against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging collusion between the police and SFI to endanger him.
He claimed that the police brought SFI activists to the scene, orchestrated a token arrest, and later whisked them away.
Khan said he had no issue with black flag protests.
“However, I was constrained to step out of the vehicle when they (SFI activists) ambushed my car. As head of State, I cannot tolerate lawlessness on the roads”, he said.
Meanwhile, General Education Minister V Sivankutty dismissed Khan's actions as "antics" and criticised the Governor's conduct as undemocratic and vindictive.
“We have long brooked his (Khan’s) disparaging comments against the Chief Minister and cabinet colleagues. The governor has repeatedly conducted himself in an undemocratic, autocratic, spiteful and vindictive manner, which does not befit his high office and is an affront to the people of Kerala. He should remember voters elected LDF to power for two consecutive terms”, Sivankutty said.
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