MALAPPURAM: The Calicut University campus witnessed a dramatic turn of events on Sunday evening as Governor and University Chancellor Arif Mohammed Khan, who has been staying at the university guest house since Friday, personally supervised the removal of banners put up by the Students Federation of India (SFI) against him.
In the afternoon, on returning to the guest house after attending the wedding of Palakkad Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal’s son in Kozhikode, the chancellor encountered three banners carrying messages of dissent, which said: “Mister Chancellor, You are not welcome here”, “Chancellor Go Back”, and “Sanghi Chancellor Wapas Jao”.
Displaying his dissatisfaction, Khan walked through the campus to examine the banners, directing his staff to photograph them along the way.
A visibly upset chancellor contacted the Raj Bhavan secretary to seek an explanation from Calicut University Vice-Chancellor M K Jayaraj regarding the banner protest. The chancellor urged the university authorities to swiftly remove the banners and questioned the police about allowing SFI activists to install them on the campus.
Initially, the police declined to remove the banners, stating that the university vice-chancellor had the responsibility to address the matter. Around 7 pm, seething with anger, the chancellor stormed out of the guest house, berating Malappuram Police Chief Sasidharan S and vehemently demanding the immediate removal of the banners.
“Who gave you instructions to display the SFI banner there? You go and take it down. No one else is going to remove it. You remove it yourself,” the chancellor asked the police chief.
The chancellor reprimanded the police officer, asserting that he would be held accountable for allowing the banner to remain. Additionally, the chancellor remarked that Pinarayi Vijayan would not serve as the chief minister indefinitely. The police were also unable to provide a satisfactory response to the chancellor’s inquiry about permitting such banners, especially when the governor is residing at the guest house.
“If not now, in two or three months, you will have to answer for it. This chief minister is not going to be here forever. How can this (the banner) be here? If the chief minister is staying here, will you allow this? Don’t you have eyes to see this? Do you want to insult me? Enough is enough,” the governor asked the police officer.
In compliance with the chancellor’s directive, the police officials removed the banners erected by the SFI.
Shortly thereafter, a group of SFI members led by State Secretary Arsho arrived on the scene. The police, anticipating their approach, blocked the SFI activists with barricades a few metres from the guest house. Undeterred, the SFI activists displayed a banner reading “Down Down Chancellor” above the barricade.
They also erected several additional banners along the path to the guest house and painted slogans against the governor on the road leading to the university.
In an act of protest, SFI activists destroyed banners — put up by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists — related to the seminar the governor is scheduled to attend at the university on Monday.
As part of their demonstration, the SFI activists also set fire to a photo of the chancellor displayed on one of the banners. “More banners against the chancellor will be raised on the university campus in the coming days,” Arsho said. He also urged the police officials to focus on their duty of providing security to the chancellor rather than removing the SFI banners on the campus.In response to the governor’s actions, SFI activists said the chancellor is attempting to portray a decline in the law and order situation in the state. “We will persist with our democratic approach to protesting against the chancellor. Nevertheless, the governor seems to be deliberately provoking the student community,” Arsho said.
2000 police personnel in CU:
With the conflict between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the SFI taking a dramatic turn on Sunday, the police have decided to strengthen the former’s security.
Approximately 2,000 police personnel will be stationed in the area on Monday as Khan is scheduled to inaugurate a seminar at the university.