Seven SFI men, arrested in connection with the black flag protests and alleged attack on Kerala Governor’s car while he was travelling in Thiruvananthapuram on November 11 evening, are denied bail on December 14. IPC 124 has been charged against them which can attract seven years’ imprisonment. IPC Section 124 is charged for preventing or obstructing the President and the Governor. It is imposed first time in Kerala.
Initially they were charged for gathering, rioting and public destruction. Then Raj Bhavan reportedly asked the State Police Chief (SPC) and Chief Secretary to impose Sections including IPC 124, which is punishable with imprisonment of seven years, against them. Raj Bhavan had informed that a loss of Rs 76,357 had been incurred during the hitting, on the windows and bonnet of the car, by the accused. The counsel of the accused argued before the court that Section 124 would not stand as the police did not specify in the remand report whether the Governor was on official duty.
The development is a heavy blow to CPM and SFI since CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has been in constant confrontation with Raj Bhavan since long. Governor has been questioning many actions of the government, especially nepotism. Governor made it a point not to compromise with the backdoor appointments in higher education sector. Recently Kannur Varsity Vice Chancellor Gopinath Raveendran was shown the door by the Supreme Court. In another words, the entire principled stands Governor has been following have invited the wrath of the LDF government, especially CPM and CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Therefore, there is every reason to believe that the SFI ‘performance’ on November 11 was motivated by political interests.
It is to be remembered that there were allegations that protesters were brought to the Governor’s in police vehicles. If it is right, it is really shocking.
ABVP state secretary P.V. Eashwar Prasad ridiculed the SFI’s allegations that Governor has been trying to saffronise the campuses by nominating ABVP workers to university bodies hence their protests against the Governor. Prasad says, SFI opposes Governor because he would not blindly accept the list they (SFI) gave for nomination. SFI cannot take it for granted that their men are the only competent candidates for such positions. He questioned the SFI threat that they would not permit the Governor to enter the campus. Prasad said, it is an anti-Constitutional stand; Governor is the Chancellor of the varsities in the state.
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