Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who has been at loggerheads with the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government on a wide range of issues, on Saturday got out of his vehicle and sat in front of a wayside shop demanding the arrest of SFI activists who protested against him  at Nilamel in Kollam district with banners and black flags

Governor Khan staged an unprecedented sit-in protest on the roadside at Nilamel in Kollam district  on Saturday morning to register his ire against the police’s alleged failure to prevent the SFI black flag demonstration at his motorcade

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 Around 50 SFI workers, with banners and black flags, protested when the governor’s vehicle passed through Nilamel at 11 am. On Saturday. Governor Khan exited his car and rushed towards the protestors. The police formed a human shield around him as he loudly dared the student activists.He criticised the protesters. He also criticised the police for not taking the SFI workers into custody. He accused the authorities of failing to ensure adequate security measures despite being aware of his route.  The Governor was en route to attend a function at a college in Kottarakara.

Pointing fingers furiously at the policemen, Governor Khan told them that they were the ones offering protection to the SFI  protesters .The Governor was fuming even after the  protesters were cleared.

“Will you allow protestors to muster along the Chief Minister’s route? I hold you accountable for the failure”,  Governor  Khan told the police officials there

The Governor also rejected the police’s statement that they had arrested 12 protestors. “There were more than 50 of them. Where are the rest? Is it a case of conspiracy?” he asked.

Refusing to leave, the governor took a seat by the roadside near a restaurant and demanded the immediate arrest of the SFI activists.

“I want to know what kind of action has been taken against these SFI  workers. I demand to see the FIR report, and until it is presented, I will not continue my journey Why didn’t the police take them into preventive custody? You were supposed to provide them protection,”  the Governor asserted to the police.

 Governor Khan also rejected the State Police Chief’s request to continue his journey. He attended the  State police chief’s  call on his staff’s mobile phone. “I do not want to speak to you. I cannot allow goons to rule the roads”,  he said

“Last time I asked you this question: if the Kerala chief minister were to pass through this road, would your police allow 50 protesters to demonstrate like this? I am not going anywhere,” the Governor  told the DGP.

The dramatic scenes continued for over two hours, with Governor  Khan refusing to leave until he was shown a copy of the FIR lodged against the SFI activists.. Finally, the police presented him with a copy of the FIR registered against 17 SFI activists under non-bailable provisions of the law. Following this, the Governor ended his sit-in –protest.

Ending his sit-in-protest, Governor Khan told media persons that the government wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis by engaging goons to target the governor by reining in the law enforcement. But, I am not going to oblige them ,” he said.

He levelled severe accusations against the police and SFI. He said they had acted in tandem to endanger the Governor.

 “The police are operating at the orders of the Chief Minister. The protestors draw a daily wage for committing crimes abetted by the ruling disposition”,  the Governor alleged.

Last month, when SFI workers had shown him black flags in Thiruvananthapuram,  an irate Governor  Khan stopped his car and walked towards the protesters, saying, “Bloody criminals, come’’. He then told media persons  that  attempts were made to hurt him physically by ‘ goondas’ at the direction of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

 Governor Khan , who’s been on a confrontational path with the left government for some time now,on Friday chose to read out only the last  paragraph of the customary policy address, that marked the commencement of the 10th session of the 15th legislative Assembly, making it the shortest policy address in the  country’s  history. Governor Khan  skipped the entire 61-pages-long address except the last paragraph and wound up the address in 1 minute 15  seconds

Following the protests on Saturday, the union Home Ministry provided CRPF’s Z Plus security to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
Raj Bhavan sources said that after the protest, the Prime Minister’s Office called the Governor on the phone and inquired about the matter