Governor’s claim about SFI attack bid a lie: CPI(M)

Kochi

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) hit out at Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Sunday, saying his allegation that Students Federation of India (SFI) protesters banged on his official vehicle and attempted to attack him was a lie. The ruling party accused the Governor of “playing a fool” with the help of the central government.

“The Governor is not fulfilling his constitutional duties. Instead, he is making extra-constitutional interventions unimaginable to the common man. His statement that they (SFI activists) banged his car is a big lie. The SFI’s black flag protest was in a different spot altogether and they had not attacked his vehicle. But he claims that he is being attacked which is a lie. It’s clear as daylight, especially from the media visuals,” CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan told reporters.

On Saturday, Governor Khan staged an impromptu wayside sit-in in Nilamel in Kollam district following a protest by the SFI, student wing of the CPI(M), with black flags shown against him. He sat in front of a wayside shop for nearly two hours demanding police action against the protesters including an FIR booked under stringent provisions. Subsequently, the central government ordered the CRPF to provide Khan with Z+ category security.

On Sunday, a 17-member CRPF team took over the security of the Governor’s official residence though there were local media reports that the Centre and the Raj Bhavan have not provided the official documents regarding the CRPF cover to the state government.

The CPI(M) leader underlined that the party has not discussed whether to ask for the recall of the Governor in the light of Saturday’s events. “There will be no difference anyway. X may go and Y may come. The next person could be a more hardline RSS man,” Govindan said.

When asked if indirect attempts were being made to impose the President’s rule in the state, the CPI(M) leader replied, “This is a state government elected by the people and supported by them. Article 356 (imposition of President’s rule) cannot happen in Kerala.”

At the same time, he indicated that the protests of the SFI against the Governor will continue despite the change in the Khan’s security cover.

Union minister of state and BJP leader V Muraleedharan defended the Governor’s actions on Sunday stating that he had stepped out of his security cover as the police had failed to remove the protesters.

“The Governor was protesting against the police’s attempts to provide protection to the (SFI) activists. Who created the situation for the Governor to step out of his vehicle? It was the police responsibility to remove the protesters. Has any police officer been suspended? The home minister has the constitutional responsibility to provide protection to the Governor. He has not fulfilled that duty,” the BJP leader said.