Centre extends Z+ security to Kerala Guv after face-off with SFI activists

Thiruvananthapuram, January 27

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The Centre on Saturday extended Z+ security cover to Arif Mohammed Khan, on a day of dramatic events that saw the Kerala Governor face yet another protest from the Left-leaning Students Federation of India (SFI) as he lashed out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for “promoting lawlessness”.

A visibly irked Khan, on his way to Kottarakkara for an event, got out of his car at Nilamel, took on the agitating members of the SFI and sat on the roadside demanding police action against the activists of the CPI-M-affiliated SFI for staging a blackflag protest against him.

While the BJP threw its weight behind Khan, State General Education Minister V Sivankutty said no Governor of any state in the country had behaved in this manner.

The Congress-led UDF, on the other hand, said it was all part of the ongoing political drama of the state government and the Governor.

Accusing Vijayan of “promoting lawlessness in the state”, Khan said, “As head of the state, lawlessness shall not be tolerated.” The Governor also said the “attacks” against him were being organised “to divert attention from the Left government’s failures and provoke some drastic action (from him)”. “I am not going to oblige them,” he said.

The Governor also termed the SFI activists “goondas” and “daily wagers” of the Marxist veteran and the Left party. “You go and show black flag, hit the car, come back and take your payment,” he said.

After sitting there for over two hours, Khan left the place only after the police showed him a copy of the FIR registered against 17 SFI activists under non-bailable provisions of the law.