The ongoing feud between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reached a dramatic climax as Governor Khan, challenging the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), undertook a spontaneous stroll down the bustling SM Street in Kozhikode. Dismissing police protection, he interacted with locals, including schoolchildren, took selfies, and sampled the famous Calicut halwa.
The incident unfolded during Governor Khan’s three-day stay on the Calicut University campus, where he defied the SFI’s attempts to prevent his entry. Despite verbal clashes, there was no direct confrontation between the SFI protesters and the governor on the campus.
Governor Khan, in a veiled reference to Chief Minister Vijayan, labeled him a “bully” and accused him of involvement in numerous murders in Kannur. The governor’s stroll through Kozhikode’s busy market was met with enthusiastic support from the public, while the SFI had escalated their protests with provocative slogans and posters targeting Khan.
When questioned about the Chief Minister’s statement accusing him of deliberate provocations, Khan countered, stating, “A bully… You know his history. How many murders was he involved in Kannur? What a bully will say. How am I provoking? If I nominate CPM people to the senate, then it is ok. If I refuse… How does the CM know that the people I have nominated are different from the ones recommended by the VC.”
In response to Chief Minister Vijayan’s statement that the governor was deliberately provoking, Khan defended his actions, questioning the chief minister’s knowledge of the nominations made to the senate. The ongoing governor-government clash has become a major point of contention, with both sides engaging in public spats and accusations.