Four Students Federation of India (SFI) activists were arrested in connection with a protest against Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan at the Kerala University Senate campus in Thiruvananthapuram. On Tuesday evening, the activists were arrested and later released on bail, the Cantonment Police said on Wednesday.
"A case was registered against over 100 SFI activists. The arrest of four of them was recorded and they were released on bail," a police officer said, as per a reoprt on PTI.
On Tuesday, the protest unfolded dramatically at the Senate campus located in the city center. Despite tight police security, SFI activists forced open the campus gates and attempted to reach the Senate Hall where Governor Khan was attending a seminar.
Police managed to secure the hall by closing its doors and windows preventing the protesters from entering. However, a minor scuffle ensued between the activists and law enforcement. The protesters later staged a sit-in near the Senate Hall and held a protest march across the campus.
Governor Khan, visibly displeased with the incident, criticised the police for their handling of the protest. When asked by reporters why the protesters were not detained earlier, the Governor tersely responded, "Ask this question to the city police commissioner."
The protest is part of the ongoing friction between Governor Khan and the ruling CPI(M) and its affiliated organizations. The two sides have clashed repeatedly over various administrative and political issues in recent months.