Governor Arif M Khan has been accusing journalists of bias in his run-ins with CPM government. (File)
Journalists in Kerala today held a protest march to the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram after Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Monday expelled two journalists from a briefing he was addressing at a guest house.
He accused the two journalists and their channels — both top news outlets in Malayalam news — of bias towards the Pinarayi Vijayan government with which he's had a series of run-ins. A video of his statement against the channels was shared by news agency ANI.
The Kerala Union of Working Journalists called for the one-kilometre march from the museum to the governor's house as Monday wasn't the first time he behaved this way with journalists.
In the backdrop of squabbles with the CPM government — which accuses him of acting at the BJP's behest — he calls some journalists and news outlets "cadre media" and ordered last month that they not be allowed at a press conference he was addressing.
On Monday, he "challenged" the state government to "barge into my office" or "attack me on the road". He was reacting to the announcement by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) that a massive protest would be held in front of Raj Bhavan on November 15.
The party alleges that the governor has been delaying key legislations.
On October 26, the CPM also staged a protest march against the governor over his order demanding resignation from university vice-chancellors over what he terms "a system of oligarchy".
For the governor's attitude against journalists and local politicians, even Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan of the Congress has criticised him. "He's trying to be in limelight & make news, doing unconstitutional things," Mr Satheesan told reporters.