Kerala Governor Locks Horns With State Government, Invites Flak

The Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) state government headed by Pinarayi Vijayan locked horns once again with the governor refusing to sign an ordinance sent to him by the state government. The ordinance related to delimitation of seats in local bodies. The LDF government sought to increase the number of seats.

However, the governor refused to give his nod over the past few days, precipitating the issue. He has been criticised by Left leaders and by the state chief minister in particular.

While Arif Mohammad Khan says that it is his duty to defend the law and points out that though it is the state government's right to approach the Supreme Court, it had done so questioning the validity of the citizenship amendment act Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) without informing him. He took umbrage at this adding that he was the constitutional head of the state government in Kerala.

Meanwhile, chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared at a public meeting that RSS agenda would not be implemented in Kerala. CAA-NRC-NPR are not on the government's agenda and will not be implemented, he added. Taking a dig at the Governor, Vijayan remarked that unlike the British era, there were no Residents today.

Earlier, Arif Mohammad Khan criticised the Kerala assembly for passing a resolution which declared the CAA unconstitutional. He said that the resolution passed by the state legislature had no constitutional or legal validity.

The Left parties and leaders of other opposition parties have been critical of the Kerala governor for wading into political waters. They have accused him of behaving in a manner which does not behove a constitutional head of state. Left leaders point out that he is an appointed head and not an elected one as is the case with Pinarayi Vijayan.