The worryingly fraught Centre-State relations came under added strain on Saturday, with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordering the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to provide Z-plus category security for Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan barely two hours after he accused the State police of going slack on his security at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s instance.
The Central government move came after Mr. Khan’s repeated attempts to cast Mr. Vijayan at the centre of an alleged conspiracy to jeopardise his safety by “arm-twisting” the State police to go slack on his security.
Matters came to a head early in the day with Mr. Khan breaking the conventionalities of his high constitutional office by exiting from his car to confront Students Federation of India (SFI) protesters who waved black flags as the VIP motorcade swept past them at Nilamel in the Kollam district at around 11 a.m.
The SFI has been on a war path against the Governor as Chancellor of State-funded universities, accusing him of stacking the senates with Sangh Parivar nominees.
Mr. Khan rebuffed a desperate attempt by the State Police Chief to mollify him on the phone. The Governor remained adamant that he would not budge from the spot unless the police furnished him with a copy of the FIR. He said he would send the document to the MHA. Mr Khan left the scene by 12.30 p.m.
The high-political theatre that dominated the airwaves also resonated across Kerala’s social and political spectrum. For one, it acrimoniously divided the polity into government versus the Governor lines.
Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener E.P. Jayarajan called Mr. Khan a disgrace to the latter’s high political office. He demanded that the Centre recall Mr. Khan.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan slammed the government for abetting protests against Mr. Khan while using the police and CPI(M) workers to stifle the Opposition’s dissenting voices against Mr. Vijayan’s corrupt and authoritarian regime.
SFI State president P.M. Arsho said Mr. Khan’s “street theatre” would not dampen the organisation’s resolve to insulate State-funded universities from infiltration by Sangh Parivar elements.
Union Minister of State V. Muraleedharan said the attacks against the Governor signalled a collapse of law and order in the State. He said Mr. Vijayan was playing with fire by attempting to endanger Mr. Khan.
