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The Union Home Ministry has provided a Z-plus category security cordon manned by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers around Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan barely two hours after he attempted to cast Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the centre of an alleged government-sponsored conspiracy to jeopardise his safety.
The Kerala Raj Bhavan posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Union Home Ministry has informed Kerala Raj Bhavan that Z+ Security cover of CRPF is being extended to Hon’ble Governor and Kerala Raj Bhavan.”
Matters had come to a head with Mr. Khan exiting his car at Nilamel earlier in the day to confront Students Federation of India (SFI) activists who waved black flags at his motorcade.
Mr Khan chided law enforcers at the scene for allegedly conspiring with the students and “abetting their attempt to ambush” his vehicle. He accused Mr. Vijayan of reining in the police to abet the “attackers”.
Mr. Khan also accused Mr. Vijayan of chairing an intrigue to provoke the Governor to take “drastic action” to give political cover to an allegedly moribund government reeling under a crippling financial crisis.
Mr. Khan dramatically perched on a chair under the awning of a roadside teashop for an hour till the police brought him a copy of the First Information Report (FIR).
Mr Khan’s aide-de-camp immediately e-mailed the copy to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs secretary, who ordered CRPF cover for Mr Khan and Raj Bhavan. Mr Khan refused to term the sit-in “an anti-government protest” and called it a “wait” instead.
