The Bharat Mata portrait that Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has held up as the defining image of the country's nationalism has crossed the confines of the Raj Bhavan for the first time and, on Wednesday, was found right in the heart of Kerala University. Twice before the Bharat Mata portrait had infuriated Kerala's ministers, and on these occasions, it was found inside the Raj Bhavan. 

On Wednesday, the garlanded portrait of the ornamented 'Bharat Mata' carrying a saffron pennant was spotted at a private function organised at the Senate Hall of the University to observe the 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Emergency. 

Though a private function, it was provocative for student outfits, particularly the SFI, for two reasons. One, it was organised by Sree Padmanabha Sewa Samithi, a largely unknown Sangh Parivar outfit. Two, it happened inside the headquarters of SFI-dominated Kerala University. (Senate Hall is rented out for private events, and is one of the University's big revenue earners.) 

A crowd of SFI workers swarmed the Senate hall the moment word spread that Arlekar's version of Bharat Mata was placed on the dais. They wanted the portrait removed, or else they threatened to block the Governor.

There was a heated exchange of words between the SFI workers and the organisers, who were by then surrounded and protected by aggressive BJP functionaries. The scrimmage repeatedly flared up into bursts of physical violence. The police had a tough time controlling the angry mob. 

Then it was heard that the organisers had decided to call off the event. Even policemen who dragged SFI workers to police vehicles were heard telling them that the event has been cancelled. Soon, the DYFI, the CPM's youth wing, and the KSU, the Congress's student wing, workers also turned up and staged independent protests against the Governor for "sneaking in religious symbols into the education system". 

An inside source said that the organisers had indeed thought of cancelling the event anticipating trouble for the Governor. But when they called up the Raj Bhavan, they were told that the Governor insisted on reaching the venue and inaugurating the event. 

Once it was clear that the Governor would arrive, the SFI workers massed before the entrance of the University. A dark banner was stretched across the main gate by the SFI workers, and on it was painted in white: "We want to say something once more to Mr Governor: The Raj Bhavan is not the ancestral property of RSS". The police forced them to the side and allowed the Governor's cavalcade to enter the University. The inauguration was scheduled for 5.30 pm, but the Governor arrived late by over an hour. 

The University Registrar, K S Anilkumar, who dashed to the venue, disapproved of the organisers' action. He told the media that such programmes go against university norms. Despite the objections, the organisers refused to remove the image and proceeded with the event as planned. 

At the event, Governor Arlekar offered floral tributes before the 'Bharatamba' image and released a book on 'Emergency-era Atrocities'. He also honoured the freedom fighters of the Emergency period at the event. The Governor and his father, Vishwanath Arlekar, were also jailed during the Emergency.

Referring to the protests outside, the Governor told the gathering at the Senate Hall that he was facing a new kind of Emergency now. Nonetheless, on his return, the Governor's entourage did not take the path through which it came in. The Governor had to be taken through a back route to avoid the protesting SFI leaders at the entrance.

SFI state secretary P S Sanjeev mocked the Governor. "Eventually he had to run away through a back door," he said, and added: "We will not allow the Governor to continue this way. If he is going to do this again, he will have to search for a thousand back routes. The Raj Bhavan will have to first ensure an escape route before consenting for any public function."