Kerala is witnessing a series of street protests by the SFI and the ABVP over the display of Bharat Mata’s portrait during official events at the Raj Bhavan here.

Governor Rajendra Arlekar has made it clear that he would not remove the portrait of Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag — usually spotted in RSS shakhas — prompting the SFI to hold protests in front of the Raj Bhavan.

In retaliation, the ABVP has held demonstrations in front of general education minister V. Sivankutty’s official residence for the last two days. Sivankutty had recently walked out of an event at the Raj Bhavan to protest the presence of the Bharat Mata portrait.

Trouble started brewing on World Environment Day on June 5 when agriculture minister P. Prasad boycotted a programme held at Raj Bhavan over the Bharat Mata picture.

As Arlekar and Prasad engaged in a war of words, the student wings of the CPM and the BJP got sucked into the conflict and kicked off protests.

The issue intensified after Sivankutty registered his protest by walking out of the event at the Raj Bhavan. The Raj Bhavan accused the education minister of breaching protocol by leaving the venue before the governor.

“The LDF government should take up the issue legally. This will bring out clarity on the issue,” political observer N.M. Pearson told The Telegraph as the stand-off between Arlekar and the LDF government continued.

However, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam told this newspaper that there was no point in taking legal recourse as the Constitution had already recognised and defined the national symbols.

“Arlekar should clarify whether his ideology from the RSS days or the Constitution should be the guiding factor while executing his role as the Kerala governor. He should read what’s written in the Constitution about national idols and symbols. A constitutional body like the Raj Bhavan should not show the wrong picture of India. The governor has been portraying the picture of Bharat Mata inside India’s map. It’s high time his advisers correct him,” Viswam said.

The CPM leadership has also been fuming at Arlekar’s intransigence. A source close to the education minister told this newspaper that the ball was now in chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s court.

While the Opposition has been repeatedly urging the governor not to convert the Raj Bhavan into an RSS shakha, the BJP state leadership has been holding solidarity meetings in his favour across the state.