'Strange’: Kerala CM on Z+ security to Governor amid face-off with students
Kerala CM also accused the Governor of “going against the security protocols” by stepping out of his vehicle to sit on a dharna earlier in the day.
“Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has repeatedly taken a stand contrary to our democratic principles…Today, him stepping out of his vehicle was against security protocols and he should not have done that,” Vijayan added.
The Kerala CM also pointed out that “no position of authority was above law”. “Law is supreme,” he said.
The chief minister's comments came as high drama unfolded in Kerala on Saturday as the state governor sat on a dharna at a wayside shop demanding the arrest of Students Federation of India (SFI) activists who protested against him in Nilamel in Kollam district.
Dramatic visuals played out on TV and social media showed the visibly angry governor getting out of his car, taking a chair from a local shop, and sitting on the roadside demanding action against the protestors.
He was also seen talking tough to the police personnel. The governor did not move for at least two hours, and left only after the police showed him an FIR filed against 17 SFI activists who waved black flags and banners and shouted ‘Sanghi Chancellor go back’ slogans at the governor.
Shortly after, the union home ministry extended a Z+ security cover to the governor. However, the governor clarified that he did not ask for it. “I have never asked for additional security. This is the central government's own decision,” he said.
The Kerala governor and the Left government in the state have been indulging in a war of words over several issues, including the functioning of universities in the state. Earlier in the day, the governor also accused the Kerala CM of “promoting lawlessness” in the state.
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