SFI stages protest in Kerala University against Governor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Activists of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Tuesday staged a protest at the Senate campus of the Kerala University here against Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, accusing him of attempting to saffronise the varsity. SFI is the students' wing of the ruling CPI(M).

The protest took place before the governor's arrival at the campus to attend a meeting in his capacity as chancellor. A group of Left activists tried to raise a banner at the main gate of the university saying "We need Chancellor...Not Gandhi assassin Savarkar".

However, police personnel didn't allow them to display the banner, prompting the protesters to engage in a minor scuffle with the law enforcers.

Protestors entered campus

A number of protesters later managed to enter the campus and displayed the posters of Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar at the portal of the main building. Police removed them forcibly before the governor arrived for the meeting. Later, speaking to reporters, SFI state president Shivaprasad said that they didn't come to create any tension but to show Arlerkar the photo of the Father of the Nation. He said they won't allow the governor to implement the RSS agenda on the state campuses and saffronise it. On Monday, the SFI staged a protest in front of Raj Bhavan here against the alleged display of the photos of RSS leaders at the governor's official residence.

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A section of protesters tried to run into the campus of the governor's official residence, but police swiftly stopped them using force. A section of the media reported recently about the display of photos of RSS founder K B Hedgewar and ideologue Golwalker along with that of Bharat Mata in Raj Bhavan. The latest row erupted days after Raj Bhavan's usage of Bharat Mata portrait at an Environment Day event was strongly objected to by the leadership of the CPI, the second-largest coalition partner in the ruling LDF. CPI leader and Agriculture Minister P Prasad, who had boycotted the event, said that those in constitutional offices cannot convert government programmes into political events.

A similar view was also expressed by CPI(M) leader and state General Education Minister V Sivankutty. However, the governor justified the act and made it clear that "Whatever be the pressure, from whichever quarters, there will be no compromise whatsoever on Bharat Mata."