Thrissur: Amid a political controversy over upgrading of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s security to Z+ category, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday issued an order regarding the inclusion of central forces in his security detail.
A coordination committee meeting of the Raj Bhavan, the CRPF, and the police will be held Tuesday to decide on the strength of the CRPF personnel and their coordination with the police, a Raj Bhavan public relation officer told ThePrint.
Under India’s classification of security cover, Z+ category is next only to those under the cover of the Special Protection Group (SPG). Currently, the SPG provides security to the prime minister. Z+ protectees get a 55-strong security detail comprising personnel of the RPF, the ITBP and 10 NSG commandos along with local police. It also has an escort vehicle.
On Saturday, the MHA announced Z+ security to Khan following a Students Federation of India (SFI) protest against the governor in Kollam district.
The issue snowballed into a political controversy as the governor questioned the police for the lax in his security but later maintained that he didn’t ask for the enhanced protection.
On Saturday, the Kerala governor, who has been in constant discontent with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, went on a ‘sit-in’ at Nilamel near Kollam for nearly two hours en route to a function in Kollam from Thiruvananthapuram.
This was after the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) waved black flags at his cavalcade in Nilamel. Alleging that SFI activists tried to hit his car during the protest, Khan alighted from his car and charged towards the students and the police. Videos of the incident aired by Malayalam news channels showed Khan rebuking the police for not removing the protesters ahead of his arrival.
“I will not go from here. Actions need to be taken against you. You are the culprit,” Khan told the police who tried to pacify him. The governor , sitting on the roadside, added that he wouldn’t leave until he received the copy of an FIR after registering a case against the protesters.
Khan ended his protest only after the police lodged a case against 17 protesters.
Notably, this is not the first time the governor has slammed the SFI activists for their protests against him. In December, Khan said the SFI activists were ‘criminals’ hired by CM Pinarayi Vijayan after the student body held a protest against him.
The CPI-M’s student wing has been holding protests against Khan for months against the alleged appointment of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated members in state university senates using his power as the chancellor.
Hours after the turn of events, the Raj Bhavan tweeted Saturday that Z + security cover was extended to Khan.
Union Home Ministry has informed Kerala Raj Bhavan that Z+ Security cover of CRPF is being extended to Hon’ble Governor and Kerala Raj Bhavan :PRO,KeralaRajBhavan
— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) January 27, 2024
However, talking to news agency ANI later on the same day, Khan said he never asked for the security. “I have not asked for anything. I am rather praising Kerala police. It is the Central government’s own decision. I never never never asked for protection,” he had said.
To a query on the Governor’s security upgrade, the Kerala chief minister termed the development as “strange”. “We don’t know whether it was his request or the Centre’s own decision to hand over the security to the CRPF. It’s strange. He is the head of the State, he is in a position where he gets the maximum security from the State. He refused that,” Vijayan said Saturday.
The CM added that there is no threat to the governor and added that Khan violated the security protocol when he got out of the car to the public.
Clarifying the matter, the Raj Bhavan PRO said the decision to deploy Z+ security to the Governor was the Central government’s. “We have not requested it. As the governor said, the police were standing there. If it was the CM, they should have done something,” the officer said.
The MHA’s decision has created ‘confusion’ in the State machinery regarding the police’s stand on the protection of the governor, which is expected to be clarified after Tuesday’s meeting, according to the Kerala government.
ThePrint reached the MHA via email over the circumstances leading to the grant of the second-highest level of security protection to the governor. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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