Ruling CPI (M) in Kerala hits out at Guv Khan over wayside sit-in; says protests will continue

Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling CPI (M) in Kerala on Sunday accused Governor Arif Mohammed Khan of acting with an agenda and support of the BJP-ruled Centre, a day after his dramatic wayside sit-in against the SFI's black flag protest.

Despite the deployment of the CRPF personnel for Governor's security by the central government, protests would continue against him in the southern state, the Left party said.

Addressing reporters here, party state secretary M V Govindan said Kerala is a state where people indulge in political activities with honesty and sincerity and they won't tolerate such acts.

The intention of Khan was to orchestrate a scenario, wherein he would be attacked, thereby compelling the Centre to initiate action against the state, he alleged.

"These all are parts of the agenda...He is acting like this with the knowledge of the Centre..Whatever he has done, the BJP is not going to achieve anything in the upcoming (Lok Sabha) elections," Govindan said.

Dubbing as 'lie' Khan's charge that the SFI activists who waved black flags at him at Nilamel in Kollam district on Saturday had hit his car, the Left leader said it has now become clear to the whole world as television channels aired visuals of the incident.

The protesters were nowhere near his car and it was Khan who had walked towards them yelling, he added.

Claiming that the law and order situation in the southern state was intact, he wondered whether a Governor could sit in front of a shop like this anywhere other than in Kerala.

The left leader also criticised the deployment of CRPF personnel for the Governor's security and made it clear that protests against him would not stop with the arrival of the central force.

LDF Convenor E P Jayarajan and CPI (M) central committee member T M Thomas Isaac also came down heavily upon Governor and the union government over the deployment of the CRPF in the wake of the agitations.

While Jayarajan termed the deployment of the central force for Governor's security as 'violation' of federal principles, Isaac said protests would continue whichever force came to the state.

"These all are just ridiculous dramas... Has anything happened to the Governor's security so far? Protest took place...but it will continue even if the CRPF personnel are deployed," Isaac said.

Asked whether the state government would urge the Centre to recall the Governor, the former finance minister said a political decision should be evolved on the matter.

Govindan also said there would be no particular advantage if Khan was recalled as the union government would surely replace him with a similar person.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and MP K Muraleedharan criticised both Governor Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the developments.

"As a state head, the Governor should show more maturity while dealing with issues. The stand of the CM who sends people to show black flags (against the Governor) is also wrong," he said High drama played out in Nilamel in Kollam on Saturday when Khan, facing SFI's black flag protest, got off his car, took on the agitating Left student wing members, sat on the roadside and hit out at the Chief Minister in what seemed to be yet another chapter in the Raj Bhavan vs ruling LDF face-off.

Khan also said he had not staged a protest but was waiting for the police to show him the FIR copy following his demand for action against the protesting members of the Students Federation of India, affiliated to the CPI-M.

The dramatic scenes were witnessed at Nilamel in Kollam, located about 40 km from state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

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

In the wake of the developments, the Centre on Saturday extended Z+ security cover to Khan.