Incensed by a banner by the Students Federation of India, outside the Calicut University guest house terming him a sanghi and demanding he ‘go back’, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Sunday alleged that it was put up by the state police on the direction of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
IMAGE: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan speaking to media persons near an anti-chancellor banner put up outside Calicut University’s guest house, in Malappuram, Kerala, December 17, 2023. Photograph: ANI on X
Hours after he decided to seek an explanation from the university’s vice chancellor on how banners against the chancellor were allowed to be put up by SFI in various parts of the varsity, the Raj Bhavan issued a press release blaming the CM and the police for the posters “defamatory to the Governor”.
While Raj Bhavan issued the statement, dramatic scenes were witnessed at Calicut University where the Governor lashed out at the police for not removing the offending banner.
“How come this (banner) is here? I am asking you (police) if CM was staying here, would you allow this? You want to insult me? Enough is enough. You are trying to make a mockery of law and order.”
“If not now, in 3-4 months you will have to reply. This CM is not going to remain forever. Don’t think you will go unaccountable. Don’t be under that impression. You will not go unaccountable,” an incensed Khan shouted at the police.
When the police said — “it is not like that”, Khan responded “if it is not like that, what is this? How come this is here?”
He also threatened to leave the guest house immediately and demanded that his car be brought there.
“I will go from here and no police person will follow me,” he said.
Khan called the police “shameless” and also said that the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist, appeared to be running the university.
“Shameless people. SFI is running the university. They will put the banners outside the guest house and you (police) will have them there?” he asked.
Finally, the police pulled down the banner in question and Khan returned to the guest house.
The statement issued by Raj Bhavan said, “Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has taken serious note of the action of the State Police, on the direction of the Chief Minister, in placing posters defamatory to the Governor in the campus of Calicut University.
“The black banners and posters have been placed inside the campus, just outside the University Guest House where the Governor is staying. The Governor feels that this cannot happen without the direction of the Chief Minister and that this clearly is the beginning of the collapse of the constitutional machinery in the State.”
It also said that Khan was of the view that “such deliberate actions of the Chief Minister precipitate the breakdown of constitutional machinery.”
Earlier in the day, Khan was seen directing his secretary at the Raj Bhavan to seek an explanation from the Vice Chancellor of Calicut University on how banners against the chancellor were allowed to be put up by SFI in various parts of the varsity.
Visuals on TV showed Khan, accompanied by his security detail, pointing out the SFI banners — which referred to him as a sanghi and demanded that he go back — to be photographed.
One such SFI banner read — ‘Sanghi Chancellor vapas jao’.
Thereafter, the Governor was seen talking over the phone to his secretary at the Raj Bhavan and asking him to send a “notice” to the VC asking whether the police were informed about these banners.
Khan also instructed the secretary that the VC be asked to explain how permission was given to put up these banners and whether any action had been taken against the same.
“How are these banners there? Have you taken any action? If the reply comes, action has to be taken against this tomorrow,” he was heard saying over the phone.
Khan, who is presently in this north Kerala district to take part in various private and official functions at Calicut University, took note of the banners after returning to the guest house he was staying at on the varsity campus.
He had decided to stay at the guest house as a challenge to the SFI’s earlier statement that he won’t be allowed to enter any of the universities in his capacity as Chancellor.
The SFI has been staging widespread protests against the Governor alleging that he has been pushing the BJP-RSS nominees to the senate of various universities in Kerala using his authority as the Chancellor of the universities in the state.
The student outfit has been alleging that Khan’s actions were part of the saffronisation agenda of the BJP.
Khan, a day ago, had reiterated that the SFI activists were “criminals” to whom he was not accountable to explain any of his decisions.
He had alleged that the protesting SFI students were “criminals hired by the chief minister”.
Earlier this week, he had accused the CM of ‘conspiring’ to hurt him physically.
Khan had made the accusation after his vehicle was allegedly attacked by the SFI activists while he was on his way to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to leave for Delhi.
