Kerala: Kerala Governor distances himself from ABVP worker

Thiruvananthapuram: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has said he ‘does not personally know’ ABVP activist Sudhi Sadan, whom he nominated to the Kerala University Senate after the student landed behind bars in a case related to campus violence at Pandalam NSS College. did.

“I don’t know that person. I have received recommendations, but I do not know him personally,” Khan told journalists who had brought the matter to his notice. “I don’t even know. If there is such a thing then we can see what can be done.”

Sadan was among the four student representatives nominated by the Governor to the Kerala University Senate. The nomination was stayed by the High Court on a petition filed by a section of students.

Asked about allegations that his nominees for the Kerala University Senate were BJP-RSS figures, the Governor said he had considered the qualifications of the individuals and not their political affiliations.

However, the Governor refused to reveal where he got the list of persons he nominated for the Senate. “I am under no obligation to tell you the source. It is my statutory duty and under the law, I am not bound to accept any recommendation or reject it,” he said.

Khan alleged that the state president of SFI, who is organizing the protest against the nomination of student representatives in the Senate, has 48 cases registered against him. The Governor reiterated that if any protestor came near his car he would take to the road.

On cases being registered against media persons in connection with the opposition’s protests against Nav Kerala Sadas, the Governor said it was not surprising in a state where the head of the state himself is the victim of attack. He said action was not taken against all those SFI activists who ‘attacked’ his car at three places on the way from Raj Bhavan to the airport.