7 SFI Activists Arrested, Cases Against 17 Others over “Attack” on Kerala Governor

Thiruvananthapuram: Seven activists of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), a student wing of the ruling CPI(M) were arrested on charges of waving black flags and allegedly attacking Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s vehicle while he was inside.

A case was also registered against 17 SFI activists in connection with the protests against the Governor.

The arrested SFI activists were booked under IPC Sections 143, 149 (punishment for unlawful assembly), 147 (Punishment for rioting), 283 (Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).

According to the FIR, the SFI activists alleged that the Governor appointed RSS nominees as members of the senate at Kerala University, and disrupted traffic and the police from discharging their official duty. They showed black flags and raised slogans against the Governor.

Union Ministers and BJP leaders, V Muraleedharan and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, came down heavily on the Pinarayi Vijayan government regarding this incident.

Muraleedharan said, “The Kerala CM and the Communist Party Secretary has been issuing threats to the Kerala Governor during the last few weeks as the Governor is taking a firm stand against the corruption and nepotism of the state government.”

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in a post on X, said, “Nava Kerala, according to Pinarayi Vijayan, is welcoming Hamas terrorists, intimidating the constitutional Governor, rampant corruption, destroying the economy, chasing investors, destroying jobs, filing cases against the media and political opponents, beating up those who question him.”