Kerala minister alleges Raj Bhavan’s role in protests against him by BJP’s student group

As row over the Raj Bhavan’s use of the portrait of Bharat Mata sitting astride a lion holding a saffron flag escalates between Kerala governor and the state government, Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday alleged that the protests against him by the BJP’s youth and student groups over the issue were carried out on instructions of the Raj Bhavan with an aim to cause riots.

Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, Suvankutty said in the last couple of days after he walked out of a programme at the Raj Bhavan over the image of ‘Bharat Mata with a saffron flag’, he has been attacked and his travels obstructed by BJP’s youth and student groups.

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He asserted that he has the right to protest against the actions of the governor at the Raj Bhavan as a minister, MLA, and a citizen, that is what he did. Following this, the BJP youth wing Yuva Morcha and student organisation, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) attacked him and obstructed his vehicle at various places in the state in the last two days, he said.

“The ABVP workers who protested in Thiruvananthapuram tore the national flag placed in front of my vehicle. This is an insult to the national flag. ABVP is controlled by the RSS-ruled Raj Bhavan,” said Sivankutty.

BJP-Yuva Morcha activists staged protests against Sivankutty in Kozhikode on Saturday. Tensions flared during the minister’s visit as the protesters who waved black flags at him were stopped by SFI activists, triggering a clash between them.

In Thiruvananthapuram, BJP activists from Pappanamcode took out a march to Sivankutty’s MLA office on Saturday evening. Following this, CPI-M took out another march against the Governor, leading to minor clashes between CPM and BJP workers. BJP workers staged a protest at the Thiruvananthapuram railway station on Saturday night against Sivankutty who was arriving by Vande Bharat Express. As protests intensified, CPI-M and DYFI members too reached the spot, leading to heated exchanges and confrontation between the two groups

Despite protests from the government over the Raj Bhavan’s use of the portrait of Bharat Mata with the saffron flag at constitutional offices or state events, Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Saturday began the International Yoga Day celebrations by lighting a lamp in front of the same garlanded portrait, making it clear that his idea of patriotism aligned with the image of Bharat Mata with the saffron flag.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said a fight is going on in Kerala between true patriots and anti-nationals. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in a statement on Sunday, said the CPI-M is resorted to violence against the youth and students wing of BJP because their(CPI-M’s) anti-nationalism was exposed.

“If the CPI-M is trying to unleash violence by making a mockery of democracy, the BJP and the people will not accept it. The general public and the BJP will respond to it, he said.

In a democratic country, peaceful protest is legal.But the communist parties are intolerant of protests. For the past two days, we have seen this in Kerala, “ Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.

Meanwhile, Governor Rajendra Arlekar has openly revealed his connection with the RSS since his childhood. In an interview to BJP mouthpiece ‘Janmabhumi’, he said the concept of Bharat Mata became strong in him when he was in jail during the Emergency. He said during the Emergency, he gained the determination to fight, and he clearly understood the concept of Bharat Mata, which motivated him to become a Sangh pracharak.