Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan hardens stand against CM Pinarayi Vijayan over black flag protest

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Tuesday hardened his stand against Pinarayi Vijayan over the Student Federation of India's (SFI) ongoing stir against him, reiterating that it was a "conspiracy" hatched by the Chief Minister while the protesters were acting as per his "instructions".

Just because the state government is led by the communists, Kerala does not become a totalitarian or a dictatorial state and "law shall prevail" there, he said.

Khan was speaking to reporters in New Delhi a day after he accused the CM of 'conspiring' to hurt him physically.

He noted that if anybody tries to overhaul the Governor, it is a cognizable offence and has to be dealt with under section 124 of IPC.

The Governor said he has already sent messages to the Chief Secretary and the state DGP making it clear that mere hauling up was not enough.

"This conspiracy has been hatched by the Chief Minister. It is as per his instruction, these people are working," Khan charged.

"Who's the Home Minister? The Chief Minister... Everything is being done as per his direction. It is he who has hatched this conspiracy and three days before these things happened, he made a public statement...," he said.

He further said it is the start of the collapse of the Constitutional machinery in Kerala.

Recounting the dramatic protest against him on Monday, Khan said if it was not a high-end car, the windows would have shattered.

He also justified stepping out of his vehicle when the black flag protest by SFI activists were going on.

"... should I stay inside and wait till they shatter my car's window and injure me?" he asked.

The Governor also sought to know what sections were invoked against KSU activists for throwing chappals against a bus in which the CM and the other ministers were travelling as part of the Nava Keralam programme.

Meanwhile, SFI leadership on Tuesday made it clear that they would continue their agitation against Governor Khan and his alleged moves to saffronise the universities in the southern state.

SFI state secretary P M Arsho accused the Governor of initiating various steps to saffronise the state universities and said nominating people with RSS and BJP background to the senates of Kerala and Calicut universities was the last instance in this regard.

He said they were protesting against the saffronisation of the universities by the Chancellor.

"Across the country we are seeing the RSS and the sangh parivar implementing their agenda and taking over the universities. We will continue our protest against filling up the universities with sangh parivar activists," he told reporters here.

Ministers P Rajeev, A K Saseendran and V A Mohammed Riyas came out in support of SFI while hitting out at Khan.

Riyas targetted the opposition Congress for coming down on the ruling party's youth outfit in this connection, saying they were preaching the politics of BJP inside and outside the Assembly.

"What the SFI has done is an act worthy of appreciation. But, instead the Congress and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan are playing the politics of BJP," he alleged.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Union Minister V Muraleedharan trained his guns on the CPI (M)-led government in the state over the Governor's charges, saying the incident reflects the state of law and order in the southern state.

The Kerala CM and the Communist Party Secretary has been issuing threats to the Governor during the last few weeks, he alleged.

"The fact that the Governor is upholding the law and constitutional values besides taking a firm stand against the corruption and nepotism of the state government and the fact that the Supreme Court has upheld the view of the Governor has made the left party take up the issue to the streets," the union minister alleged.

Governor Khan continued his tirade against LDF government and Chief Minister Vijayan after his vehicle was allegedly hit by activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the CPI(M), while he was on his way to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to leave for Delhi on Monday evening.

Eighteen SFI activists were later arrested in connection with that incident.