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Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday said that he will not be brow-beaten by the protest of the Students Federation of India, the CPI (M)'s student wing.
"I have said several times that if protestors come near my car, then I will step down. One thing should be clear in their minds, I am not going to be frightened. I believe in facing the brutes," Governor Khan told reporters. The SFI workers showed black flags to Governor Khan in Mattannur on Sunday evening. Subsequently, clashes erupted between the SFI workers and the police, leading to their detention. SFI has been protesting against the governor for the last several days, alleging he pushed "BJP-RSS nominees" into various universities in Kerala, using his authority as the chancellor of universities in the state. Governor Khan reiterated his allegation that the protest against him was a joint venture of SFI and banned the Popular Front of India (PFI). "This protest is a joint venture of SFI and PFI. SFI has recruited PFI volunteers. He (CM Pinarayi Vijayan) is making sacrificial lambs of the youngsters," he said. Governor Khan has been at loggerheads with the state government with regard to various appointments in the state universities. He Sunday slammed Kerala higher education minister R Bindu accusing her of being "totally ignorant" and showing a lack of respect towards the court and the law of the land. "I am not going to respond to criminals. Illegality has happened, and the law will certainly take its course. She (R Bindu) might have said anything. I don't consider her important enough to respond to her remarks," he said on Sunday When asked about the incidents at a senate meeting held at Kerala University, which was presided over by Higher Education Minister R Bindhu as Pro-chancellor, Khan responded by saying she had no authority to do so without his permission. "Whatever she may say, the only thing I am aware of is that somebody claiming to be the education minister tried to intrude into the meeting of the senate illegally. This is a violation of the law. Senate meetings can be chaired either by the chancellor or by somebody authorized by the chancellor. No other person has the right to preside over it. I promise you that the violation of the law will be taken cognizance of," Arif Mohammed Khan said. The higher education minister R Bindu, however, said that she did not violate the university rules and as pro-chancellor, she holds the authority to chair the senate meeting, which contradicts Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's statement. The Education Minister of Kerala, R Bindu, is the Pro-Chancellor of the Kerala University, while the Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan is the Chancellor. (ANI)
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