Kerala govt using force to suppress voices of dissent: Governor Khan

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday (September 19) accused the ruling Left Democratic Front government in the state of using force to suppress voices of dissent and shared with the media video clippings of him being allegedly heckled at Kannur University in 2019 during the Indian History Congress (IHC) event.

At a press conference called by him at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, Khan also hit out at historian Irfan Habib accusing him of having an intention to “attack” him during the 2019 event.

Before sharing the video footage of the incident, Khan read out what Section 124 of the IPC states and said according to it, those who attack the President of India or the Governor of a state face seven years in prison.

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In the video footage shared by Khan, he was seen delivering his speech and a group of students shouting slogans. The Governor was talking in favour of CAA. In the video, a few students, including girls were shouting slogans and the police were removing them forcefully. Despite the protests, Khan continued with his speech.

After sharing the video, Khan alleged that Habib got up from his seat at the event “with a motive to attack him”.

He also alleged that KK Ragesh, the current political secretary of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also was present at the 2019 event, tried to stop the police from discharging their duty instead of protecting the governor.

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“This is a cognisable offence. There is no need to even report it to the police because the police were very much present and they were trying to stop the protesters. But a senior political person who was present was seen trying to stop the cops from discharging their duty.

“This happens in a state where people are arrested for wearing black shirts. According to the law, the programme of the Governor after the final approval of the schedule cannot be altered. At the Indian History Congress, Irfan Habib was scheduled to speak for 16 minutes according to the programme, but he spoke for 30 minutes,” Khan told the media.

Attacking CM Vijayan for using force to suppress voices of dissent, he said, “They use force to suppress dissent… The ideology the CM adheres to allows to use of force against political opponents. Irfan Habib is the icon of this ideology. Do you feel any sense of shame?”

Khan said he would not demand any investigation over his alleged heckling in 2019 and asked the media to probe why the police were prevented from taking any action.

He termed it as a shame that Kerala’s main source of revenue is from lottery and liquor.

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He also alleged that CM Vijayan came to meet him and asked him to consider Prof. Gopinath Raveendran for the post of the Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University.

“I said I would give weightage to his opinion. Later, the government produced a document which was the legal advice to the advocate general. I have never asked for such advice, why should they give me advice which I have not asked for?” he asked.

The Governor then released copies of the communications between him and the chief minister regarding his refusal to continue as the Chancellor of the state universities.

“In the first letter written on December 8, I informed that I was sick of the pressure on me and did not want to continue as the chancellor. I asked the CM to relieve me. I received a reply on the same day in which the government asked me to continue as the Chancellor. I again wrote a letter the next day that I could not continue. I again got a reply insisting I continue. I lost interest in this letter-writing thing and then stopped,” Khan said.

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He also alleged that despite repeatedly asking him to continue as chancellor, the government now has passed a law to remove him.

Khan criticised Vijayan for his attitude towards the media. “I never asked the journalists to come and meet me except today, but I don’t refuse to talk whenever they come to me. But the CM once asked the media persons to ‘get out’ of his premises,” he said.

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