New Delhi: For the second day in a row, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to attack him en route to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
“The SFI activists who had gathered with black flags attacked my car in the presence of the police. They attacked my vehicle on the way back as well. This indicates that the police did not take the perpetrators into custody after the first assault. They tried to break the window glass of my vehicle. The car has several scratches,” the Kerala Governor said while speaking to the media in Delhi on Tuesday.
He alleged that the Chief Minister, who's also the home minister, orchestrated the attack. Khan's scathing accusation came after his vehicle was allegedly hit by activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the CPM's student wing, while he was on his way to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to leave for Delhi. A visibly furious Governor got out of his car and told the media that it was Pinarayi who 'conspired' to send people to injure him physically.
"Will they allow a car full of protesters if a CM's programme is going on? Will they (police) allow anybody to come near the CM's car? Here cars of the agitators were standing there; (after the assault) the police pushed them into their cars and they drove away," he said.
"If the CM disagrees with me on something, that does not mean he should hatch conspiracies to hurt me," he added. Khan also claimed that the constitutional machinery appeared to be collapsing in the state. He added that Kerala was a part of a sovereign, democratic, republic called India indicating that it cannot operate in isolation.
According to the Governor, black flags were waved at him in three places; in two places protesters hit his car.
The police, on the other hand, said that the Governor's vehicle was blocked by the SFI activists only at one place and seven people of the student outfit have been arrested. In the other two incidents, only black flags were waved and 10-12 SFI activists have been taken into custody in connection with that protest. Cases under the relevant provisions of the IPC are being registered against them, police sources said.
Black flags were also waved at the Governor near Vazhuthacaud in the state capital when Khan was on his way to an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry on Sunday. Eighteen SFI activists were arrested for the protest, police said.
Meanwhile SFI State Secretary PM Arsho said the Governor, who is also the chancellor of the universities in Kerala, will not be allowed to enter the campuses.
