Pinarayi and Khan go head to head as government-Governor relations hit an antagonistic blow

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Kerala Governor Arif Mohamme Khan went head to head on Monday, supercharging the political climate in the State and pushing government-Raj Bhavan relations to a new and markedly antagonistic low

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Kerala Governor Arif Mohamme Khan went head to head on Monday, supercharging the political climate in the State and pushing government-Raj Bhavan relations to a new and markedly antagonistic low.

Mr Vijayan and Mr Khan squared off even as Students Federation of India (SFI) protests against Mr Khan’s alleged trespasses on federalism and bid to saffronise the State’s higher education sector gathered momentum and acquired an increasingly belligerent tone across the State.

Both leaders adopted a combative style that sometimes bordered on the personal. Mr Vijayan told reporters in Kollam that the government would move the Prime Minister and President to “rein in Mr Khan from vitiating the State’s peaceful atmosphere by provoking students”. He accused Mr. Khan of using harsh words to vilify students and malign Kerala, particularly Kannur.

Mr. Khan responded by shunning police security and visiting the iconic S.M. Street in Kozhikode unannounced in what seemed a dare to the SFI. Television split screens showing Mr Khan glad-handling passersby and aggressive SFI protests across college campuses in the State told the whole story and conveyed the political mood.

Prior to his dramatic outing, Mr. Khan told reporters in Malappuram that the “intimidatory tactics by the very person responsible for a series of political murders in Kannur” would not cow him into subservient silence.

He said Mr. Vijayan had belatedly bridled the SFI. “He (CM) knows the consequences if they (SFI) touch me”, Mr. Khan said.

A somewhat ominously worded Raj Bhavan communique that blamed Mr Vijayan for the SFI protests and posited the demonstrations as the start of the collapse of the State’s constitutional machinery triggered the strident stand-off, which showed scarce signs of reaching a detente anytime soon.