Kerala minister, governor clash over portrait

Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala General Education Minister V. Sivankutty has accused the BJP’s youth and student wings of orchestrating violent protests against him over the ongoing ‘Bharat Mata’ portrait controversy. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Sivankutty alleged that the protests were not spontaneous but carried out under instructions from the Raj Bhavan with the intent to provoke riots.

The controversy began after Sivankutty walked out of a Raj Bhavan event where a portrait of ‘Bharat Mata’—similar to ones used in RSS functions—was displayed. “As a minister, MLA, and citizen, I have every right to protest actions that go against constitutional norms,” he stated.

Following the incident, activists from the ABVP and BJP’s youth wing, Yuva Morcha, allegedly blocked the minister’s vehicle, waved black flags, and even burned his effigy at multiple locations, including Kozhikode. Sivankutty claimed that some protesters tore the national flag, an allegation ABVP has denied. He also accused the Raj Bhavan of failing to distance itself from these actions, alleging that two RSS sympathisers within the Governor’s office were guiding these moves. However, he declined to name them.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, in a recent interview with BJP mouthpiece Janmabhumi, defended the portrait. He said his attachment to the concept of Bharat Mata intensified during the Emergency, when he was jailed, and it inspired him to become a Sangh Pracharak. He insisted the symbol transcends politics and ideology. The clash has deepened the ongoing standoff between Kerala's CPI(M)-led government and the Raj Bhavan, with both sides refusing to back down.