Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the manner in which Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday sat on the roadside demanding police action against SFI protestors was never before seen from any person in authority and was against security protocols. Vijayan said that what Khan did was not right and even he knew that.
The CM further said that Khan’s actions of ”protesting” in order to ensure police action against the SFI activists as per his wishes was something no one in authority has ever done. ”The Governor has been repeatedly taking a stand which is different from the consistently followed democratic principles in the country,” Vijayan said while responding to several queries from reporters about what transpired during the day.
Vijayan further said that one should understand that no position of authority was above the law. ”All positions of authority are below the law. The law is supreme. Unfortunately, what we saw today was the non-realisation of the same. In such matters, it is important to show wisdom.
”However, that is something that is not taught in schools and developed through experience. What I feel is that he (Khan) has not developed that in all these years of his life,” the CM said. Vijayan further said that though the Governor today indicated he was healthy, he should nevertheless still get himself checked.
”There are various kinds of health issues after all,” he said, taking a shot at Khan. High drama played out in Kollam district of Kerala today when Khan, facing SFI’s black flag protest, got out of his car, took on the agitating Left student wing members, sat on the roadside and hit out at the CM.
Meanwhile, the Centre on Saturday extended Z+ security cover to Khan, who lashed out at Vijayan for allegedly ”promoting lawlessness” and said that as head of the state ”lawlessness shall not be tolerated” by him. On reporters asking whether the change in security cover was a setback to the state police, the CM said there was nothing special about it as the Governor already enjoyed Z+ security.
The only difference is that CRPF will be providing the security cover, he said. ”Does it mean the CRPF will rule? Can the CRPF act in the manner he wanted the police to act today? Can it lodge cases? The CRPF is nothing new to Kerala.
”The only thing special about it is that he has been clubbed along with a select group of RSS workers in the state who enjoy the protection of the Centre,” the CM said. He also claimed that there was never any threat to Khan’s security while he was being protected by the state police.
When reporters referred to the recent incident of the Governor quickly concluding the state government’s customary policy address in the Assembly, the CM said that though it can be technically seen as Khan having read the whole thing, what he did was a challenge to Kerala. Vijayan said it was not a form of dissent or displeasure towards any government, political party or group, it was ”contempt” towards Kerala and the Constitution.
The CM again poked fun at Khan by saying that he did not have time to read the policy address, but could sit on the roadside for over an hour-and-a-half. ”Very good. He has no problems acting like that,” Vijayan said.
The Marxist veteran said that FIRs were part of the normal police procedure and there was no need for the Governor to sit on the roadside waiting for the same. After sitting there for over two hours, Khan left the place only after the police showed him a copy of the FIR registered against 17 SFI activists under non-bailable provisions of the law.
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