Infuriated by an SFI banner outside the Calicut University guest house calling him a “sanghi” and asking that he “go back,” Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Sunday that it was put up by the state police on the orders of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, news agency PTI reported. The Raj Bhavan issued a press release accusing the CM and the police for the “defamatory to the Governor” posters hours after he decided to ask for clarification from the university’s Vice Chancellor on how banners against the Chancellor were permitted to be put up by SFI in various parts of the varsity.
While Raj Bhavan released the statement, dramatic events unfolded at Calicut University, where the Governor chastised the police for failing to remove the offensive banner.
Kerala 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… pic.twitter.com/TxQVjqx4Ha
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2023
“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.
After the police said — “it is not like that”, Khan replied: “if it is not like that, what is this? How come this is here?” He also threatened to abandon the guest home and requested that his car be sent there.
“I will go from here and no police person will follow me,” he said.
Khan termed the police “shameless” and claimed that the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the CPI(M)’s student branch, appeared to dominate the institution.
“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 cops removed the disputed banner, and Khan returned to the guest home.
After police removed banners and posters, SFI staged protest at Calicut University against Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan.
#WATCH | Malappuram, Kerala: SFI protests at Calicut University after police removed banners and posters placed by SFI against Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan pic.twitter.com/EpaElRxB2d
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2023
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.”
Khan was also quoted as saying that “such deliberate actions of the Chief Minister precipitate the breakdown of constitutional machinery.” Earlier in the day, Khan was seen instructing his secretary at the Raj Bhavan to demand an explanation from the Vice Chancellor of Calicut University on how SFI was permitted to put up banners opposing the Chancellor in various sections of the institution.
On TV, Khan was shown, surrounded by his security detail, pointing out the SFI banners – which referred to him as a’sanghi’ and requested that he return – to be photographed.
One such SFI banner said, ‘Sanghi Chancellor vapas jao’.
Following that, the Governor was spotted on the phone with his secretary at the Raj Bhavan, urging him to issue a “notice” to the VC inquiring whether the police had been told about the banners.
Khan further directed that the VC be questioned to explain how permission was granted to put up these banners and whether any action was taken against them.
“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, PTI reported.
Khan, who is now in this north Kerala state to participate in different private and official engagements at Calicut University, noticed the banners after returning to the varsity campus guest house where he was staying.
He chose to stay at the guest house as a protest to the SFI’s earlier assertion that he would not be permitted to access any of the institutions in his role as Chancellor.
The SFI has been holding large protests against the Governor, saying that he has used his position as the Chancellor of the state’s institutions to push BJP-RSS nominations to the senates of several colleges in Kerala.
The student organisation claims Khan’s activities are part of the BJP’s saffronisation plan.
Khan had previously stated that the SFI activists were “criminals” to whom he was not had to justify any of his actions.
He said that the SFI students who were demonstrating were “criminals hired by the chief minister.”
Earlier this week, he accused the CM of ‘conspiring’ to physically harm him.
Khan made the claim after his vehicle was reportedly assaulted by SFI activists on his route to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to go to Delhi.
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