Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan was forced to conclude his speech at the 80th Indian History Congress after several student delegates alleged that it was provocative, The Hindu reported.
The incident took place at Kannur University, the host of the Congress on December 28. Invited by the University rather than the Indian History Congress, Khan chose to defend the Citizenship Act during his speech, stating that protesters had refused to speak with him.
“When you shut the door for debate and discussion, you are creating a culture of violence,” the governor was quoted as saying. Khan also brought up the Kashmir issue, saying that it was still “unfinished business” for Pakistan.
Some of the historians attending the meet made their unhappiness with the speech clear. Student delegates from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Aligarh Muslim University, among others, alleged that the governor’s speech was provocative, and shouted anti-Citizenship Act slogans at the venue. They were detained by the police and then let off after the intervention of the university.
Renowned historian Irfan Habib, a former president of the Indian History Congress, was also present at the venue and tried to indicate to the governor not to talk about the things that he was referring to, the report added. Khan, however, became furious at the intervention, saying that Habib had no right to stop him from talking about anything.
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