Kozhikode: After a day's break, left-wing organisations, including the Students Federation of India (SFI), resumed their protest against Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on the Calicut University campus with full fervour on Monday. Ahead of the commencement of the function attended by the Governor at the seminar complex, SFI activists staged a massive protest march to Pareeksha Bhavan. However, police stopped the march before the protesters could reach the guest house where the Governor was put up.
With this, a section of SFI activists barged into the campus by breaking through the barricades set up by the police. The protesters were seen wearing black clothes, waving black flags and holding balloons. They were holding black banners with slogans such as "Sanghi chancellor wapas jao (go back)", "We need Chancellor, not Savarkar", and "Mister Chancellor, get out from the campus". The police arrested and removed SFI activists at the front of the protest. Meanwhile, the All India Students' Federation (AISF) has announced a statewide strike on Tuesday to protest against the Chancellor's pro-Sangh Parivar policies.
When the protest broke out a short distance from the seminar complex, the Governor reached the venue under heavy security from the guest house. Before stepping into the hall, he severely criticised the SFI in front of the media. Calling the SFI activists criminals, Khan said the organisation was being run by a gang of goons, who have been released under police protection by the chief minister. Khan mocked that there was no protest on the streets of Kozhikode. An irate Governor could also be seen shouting at media persons to leave.
Calicut University vice-chancellor M K Jayaraj, who was supposed to preside over the seminar attended by the Governor, stayed away from the event. The Governor, who is also the Chancellor of universities in the state, had sought an explanation from the VC on the SFI protest. The VC reportedly stayed away from the programme citing health issues.
Further hardening his stance against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the SFI, Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday called them "bullies" and said he was "not going to be frightened" by them.
The Governor referred to the CM as "a bully" while responding to a query from reporters regarding Vijayan's statement a day ago that Khan was 'attempting to destroy' the peace in the southern state by making provocative statements.
"You know his (Vijayan's) history? How many murder cases he is involved in? What will a bully say? How am I provoking? If I nominate CPM people to the senate, then it is ok?" Khan asked.
"If they (SFI) want to hurt me, they are most welcome. I am asking, come here. If you want to hurt me, come here. Why don't you come? They are only bullies. They are not students. All students belong to SFI? No other student has protested, it is only SFI. Why? Because after the Supreme Court judgement, they realise they cannot control and run the universities," Khan said.
(With PTI inputs)