‘CMO official prevented police action during 2019 protest’: Kerala Governor displays visuals

Ragesh, who is now the private secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, prevented the police from acting back then, Khan alleged. “He stopped the police from giving protection to me. He went down from the dais and joined the protesting audience. Have you ever seen such a scenario? Police officers told me that they wanted to act, but they were prevented from taking action, because the person who should have instructed police to take action, was party to the conspiracy,” the governor said.

“He (Ragesh) was rewarded for the conspiracy. He is now appointed in the CM’s office because of the great things he did. I am not asking the police to investigate it. I want the media to investigate,” Khan said.

Addressing reporters, Khan quoted section 124 of the IPC which pertains to assaulting the President, Governor, etc, with intent to compel or restrain the exercise of any lawful power. “This is a cognisable offence and the police can take suo motu case on the issue. A person booked under section 124 of IPC shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine,” he said.

The governor had recently alleged a conspiracy behind the disruption of his address at the Indian History Congress.

During the inauguration of the Indian History Congress in Kannur on December 28, 2019, Khan faced protests from some students and delegates for backing the CAA. Days before that, he had stated that the new Act fulfilled a promise made by Gandhi and Nehru to non-Muslims who were left in Pakistan after the Partition. Following this, delegates at the History Congress raised slogans against him. Khan had then accused eminent historian Irfan Habib of “disrupting” his inaugural address.

Last month, Arif Mohammed Khan stayed the appointment of K K Ragesh’s wife Priya Varghese as an associate professor in Kannur University’s Malayalam department over alleged violation of norms and favouritism. The governor issued a show-cause notice to Kannur University vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran on the matter. It was also alleged that Ravindran was re-appointed as the vice-chancellor for another term in November last year days after he had cleared the appointment of Varghese at the university.