Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan dialled up his combative style approach against the Student Federation of India (SFI) black flag protestors and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government by daring them to lay a hand on his person.
Speaking to journalists in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr. Khan accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] of press-ganging SFI and proscribed Popular Front of India (PFI) activists into waylaying his motorcade at significant legal and constitutional peril.
He accused Mr. Vijayan of playing a game of brinkmanship. “He (Mr. Vijayan) knows the consequences if any harm were to befall me. Hence, he has tasked the police to ensure that the SFI and PFI protestors do not come near me while egging the youth to impede my progress. Officers are helplessly standing in the sun for hours on end to play the government’s edgy game of nerves,” he said.
Mr. Khan had repeatedly broken convention and stepped out of his care to confront black flag demonstrators during his journeys through the State, most recently in Kannur late Sunday.
Mr. Khan said he refused to be intimidated and would face down “brutes”. He stated he was 72 and lived on borrowed time. “I have nothing to fear. I have faced threats for my political positions since I was 35,” Mr. Khan said.
Mr. Khan accused Mr. Vijayan of using students as “sacrificial lambs” at the altar of CPI(M) ‘s vindictive and intimidatory politics.
“I have no ill will for the young activists. They are the hapless victims of CPI(M)‘s heartless political exploitation. The government has sought to keep the record clear and distance itself from the protestors by asking the police to book them under severe articles of law. The cases would impede the youngsters’ future. They will not be able to avail themselves of passports or get police clearance for jobs. They will also have to endure the pain of protracted court procedures. I urged them not to fall into the political trap,” Mr. Khan said.
The CPI(M) and SFI have been on the warpath against Mr Khan for not signing Bills passed by the Assembly into law and for an alleged bid to stack State-funded varsities with Sangh Parivar nominees, respectively.
The CPI(M) had reiterated that it would not rise to Mr Khan’s bait by responding to the Governor’s alleged displays of pugilism and public dares against the government and party.
