Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of conspiring to physically harm him. Governor Khan’s accusations stem from an incident where his vehicle was allegedly struck by members of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPI(M). 

This incident, which took place while the governor was en route to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to leave for New Delhi, has ignited a political firestorm in the state.

Governor Khan, addressing the media, said there is a concerted effort at play to cause him physical harm, implying the involvement of Chief Minister Vijayan. He stated that the incident was not an accident, but rather a deliberate act targeting him individually.

“Is it possible that if a Chief Minister programme is going on, cars with protesters will be allowed there? Will they (police) allow anybody to come near the car of the Chief Minister? Here cars of the protesters were standing there and police pushed them into their cars and they ran away,” Mr Khan said.

“So, it is the Chief Minister, I am saying it clearly, who is conspiring and sending these people to hurt me physically. The ‘goondas’ have taken charge of the roads of Thiruvananthapuram,” Mr Khan added.

Visibly enraged by the alleged attack on his vehicle, Governor Khan condemned the incident and the alleged deteriorating state of democracy in Kerala. He stressed that political disagreement should not lead to physical violence.

Mr Khan alleged that protesting students not only waved black flags at him but also struck his vehicle on both sides. 

“Then I got down from my car. Then why did they run away? They were all sitting in a car, which means the police knew. But what will the poor police do when the Chief Minister is directing them?” he asked.

PTI, quoting Raj Bhawan sources, reported that black flags were waved at Governor Khan at three places and his car was hit by protesters at two of them.

According to the police, Governor Khan’s vehicle was blocked by SFI activists at one particular location. Seven members of the student organisation have been arrested in connection with that, police said. 
 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) today revoked the suspension of Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar, who was earlier suspended for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by meeting Congress leader Revanth Reddy, now the Chief Minister, during the state assembly election counting earlier this month.

Mr Kumar visited Mr Reddy at his residence as the counting of the votes was underway. Photos of Mr Kumar offering a bouquet to Mr Reddy ignited a firestorm on social media, triggering questions about potential breaches of the MCC.

Mr Kumar was accompanied by state police officers Sanjay Kumar Jain and Mahesh M Bhagwat.

The DGP’s meeting with just one candidate out of 2,290 – a star campaigner from one specific party among 16 – raised suspicion of favouritism and concerns about the DGP’s neutrality and adherence to the MCC, which mandates impartiality from officials during elections.

The ECI deemed the meeting as a clear breach of the code, saying the DGP’s actions could negatively impact junior officers. 

Following Mr Kumar’s suspension, senior IPS officer Ravi Gupta was given additional charge of Telangana DGP. 

Australia on Monday said it would tighten visa rules for international students and low-skilled workers that could halve its migrant intake over the next two years as the government looks to overhaul what it said was a “broken” migration system.

The decision comes after net immigration was expected to have peaked at a record 510,000 in 2022-23. Official data showed it was forecast to fall to about a quarter of a million in 2024-25 and 2025-26, roughly in line with pre-COVID levels.

“We’ve worked around the clock to strike the best balance in Australia’s migration system,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said in a statement ahead of the formal release of the government’s new migration strategy later on Monday.

“The government’s targeted reforms are already putting downward pressure on net overseas migration, and will further contribute to this expected decline,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil said the increase in net overseas migration in 2022-23 was mostly driven by international students.

Australia boosted its annual migration numbers last year to help key businesses recruit staff to fill shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic brought tighter border controls, and kept foreign students and workers out of the country for nearly two years.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the weekend said Australia’s migration numbers needed to be wound back to a “sustainable level,” adding that “the system is broken.”

Long reliant on immigration to supply what is now one of the tightest labour markets in the world, Australia’s Labor government has pushed to speed up the entry of highly skilled workers and smooth their path to permanent residency.

Under the new policies, international students would need higher ratings on English tests. It will also end settings that allowed students to prolong their stay in Australia.

A new specialist visa for highly skilled workers will be set up with the processing time cut to one week, helping businesses recruit top migrants amid tough competition with other developed economies.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)