THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Signalling he is game for a political fight with the Kerala government, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of sending “goons” to physically hurt him, and alleged the constitutional machinery in the state seemed to be “collapsing”.
High drama unfolded on the streets of the capital after SFI activists waved black flags at the governor’s motorcade while he was proceeding to the airport to board a flight to Delhi.
Some of the protesters advanced to the middle of the road blocking the governor’s car. An enraged Khan came out of his vehicle and alleged that the protesters hit his car from both sides and that it was a serious security lapse. “This is at the direction of the chief minister to hurt me physically,” he claimed.
The governor alleged that the police helped the SFI activists escape in a car. “Goonda raj cannot be allowed. It is a huge security lapse. Is this the security arranged for the chief minister? So it is clearly a conspiracy led by the chief minister himself,” he alleged.
The chief minister cannot hatch conspiracies to attack the governor if he disagrees with his actions, Khan said. Meanwhile, police arrested 19 SFI workers in this connection.
Oppn backs governor
The student outfit is on a warpath against the governor’s alleged attempts to “saffronise” the universities in the state and “destroy” the higher education sector.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan expressed shock at the Governor’s claim that the CM had sent criminals to manhandle him. Terming this the first instance in which a governor was targeted in such a fashion, he asked whether the LDF government would lodge a case against the student activists.
“It’s the same chief minister who had asked the party goons to attack the Youth Congress and KSU activists who have now targeted the governor,” Satheesan alleged.
The state police chief has asked the city police commissioner to submit a report on the incident.