Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan faced a protest by Student Federation of India (SFI) activists in Nilamel. The Governor, visibly upset, left his vehicle and sat in front of a roadside shop demanding the arrest of the protesters. He took a chair from the shop and insisted on action against the agitators, expressing his displeasure to the police.
The protest occurred as Khan was en route to Kottarakkara for an event. SFI, affiliated with the ruling CPI(M), staged a black flag protest against the Governor.
The tension between Khan and the Left government revolves around issues like university functioning and his refusal to sign certain bills passed by the assembly.
In response to the incident, the Union Home Ministry extended Z+ security cover, deploying CRPF personnel for the Governor’s protection. This move followed a recent episode where Khan, facing the SFI protest, confronted the agitators, criticized Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and accused him of promoting lawlessness in the state.
The dramatic events unfolded in Nilamel, Kollam, around 40 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. After sitting for over two hours, Khan left the spot only after being shown a copy of the FIR filed against 17 SFI activists under non-bailable provisions of the law.
