Governor Arif Mohd Khan’s move has to be appreciated for the fact that he is the first person holding a constitutional post, to openly challenge the media mafia, who are actually party cadres.
On October 24, the Kerala Governor’s office, barred four television channels from entering the Raj Bhavan to cover his press conference. The news channels were Kairali (CPM owned news channel), Reporter (owners have open affiliation with CPM), Media One (owned by Islamic outfit Jamait e Islami and PFI) and Jaihind (officially owned by Congress).
It all goes back to the last Press Conference held a few weeks ago in the Raj Bhavan at Thiruvananthapuram. At the end of the interaction with the Media, a few reporters literally pounced on the Governor questioning him on the Irfan Habib episode at University of Kannur. The hostile questioning by the so called reporters bordered on abuse, accusing the Governor of being agent of RSS.
For those who are not aware, Governor Arif Mohd Khan who was the Chief Guest at the Indian History Congress held at Kannur University. Irfan Habib who was one the invitees of the CPM affiliated Vice Chancellor and violated protocol by speaking for one and half hours against the allotted five minutes. Arif Mohd Khan did not object to this and sat through the long verbal abuse against PM Modi, BJP and RSS by Irfan Habib. Later when the Governor started speaking, Irfan Habib moved menacingly towards Arif Mohd Khan and tried to physically stop him from speaking. The Governor’s ADC’s blocked Irfan Habib, who tore the ADC uniform in anger.
A CPM leader (who later went on to become Political Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan) who was on stage jumped off and started egging the crowd to raise slogans against the Governor, mainly by Leftist delegates against CAA.
Back in Thiruvananthapuram, the Governor’s office asked the Vice Chancellor to submit a report on the security violation when the Governor was on stage. The VC who was on stage with the Governor, replied that he was not a security expert to file a complaint with the Police.
The media in Kerala, which is dominated by leftists and Islamists have at every instance tried to intimidate the Governor when he was attending public functions. Arif Mohd Khan diplomatically avoided the confrontation with these reporters and asked them to attend formal Press Conferences in Raj Bhavan.
The Governor in the latest instance told the media after an event in Thiruvananthapuram “I can only tell you, please whosoever wants to talk to me, they can send a request to Raj Bhavan, I will make it sure that I talk to you. But I don’t know who among you is a genuine journalist and who are the cadre masquerading as media. And I do not wish to speak to the cadre.”
Predictably, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) which is dominated by communists started their protests saying it was an encroachment on the freedom of press. The KUWJ is officially trying to secure bail for terror operative Siddique Kappan, who has been masquerading as journalist. Kappan, is in fact the General Secretary of KUWJ, Delhi unit.
Governor Arif Mohd Khan’s move has to be appreciated for the fact that he is the first person holding a constitutional post, to openly challenge the media mafia, who are actually party cadres.