THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala University’s senate house campus here witnessed tense moments on Tuesday after SFI activists staged protests against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan who came to inaugurate a Sanskrit seminar in his capacity as the varsity’s Chancellor.
Khan was visiting the university after a gap of over two years amid ongoing tensions between him and the state government over vice-chancellor appointments. The Left-dominated Syndicate of the university had given a call to boycott the event as a mark of protest.
Shortly after the governor arrived, SFI activists marched to the main gate of the university that was closed to block the protesters.
The police used water cannons to disperse the crowd. However, some SFI activists scaled the gate and reached the senate hall where the event was being held.
Accusing the governor of attempting to ‘saffronise’ the higher education sector by appointing persons affiliated to Sangh Parivar as vice-chancellors, the SFI activists staged protests outside the senate hall. When asked why no SFI protesters were arrested, the governor shot back at reporters and asked them to pose such questions to the police.