Senior CPI leader E Chandrasekharan said his party's stance is that 'the post of Governor is a remnant from colonial rule in the past'.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor han. (KB Jayachandran/South First)
The row sparked by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s roadside “protest’ against SFI activists shows no sign of abating, with the ruling LDF in the state launching yet another broadside against him.
On Monday, 29 January, during the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s policy address in the state Assembly — which Khan controversially kept brief by reading out only the last para — LDF legislators contended that the constitutional post he holds is “inessential” and must be done away with as soon as possible.
The ongoing discord between Khan and the Left government has various reasons, most notably the functioning of universities in the state and his refusal to several Bills passed by the Assembly.
It is amid the face-off that the Governor last week concluded his customary policy address to the Kerala Assembly within just two minutes, and later launched his unprecedented protest against activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student arm of the CPI(M).
Senior CPI leader and former minister E Chandrasekharan, addressing the Assembly which is in session, expressed his party’s stance that there was no need for a Governor’s post in the state.
Chandrasekharan stated, “The post of the Governor is a remnant from colonial rule in the past. The CPI holds the position that the country does not require a Governor’s post in the states. At a time when such Governors are causing trouble for state governments with ideologies different from that of the Union government, necessary Constitutional amendments should be made to remove this post.”
CPI(M) leader and former health minister KK Shailaja likened the Governor’s actions to that of a comical goon character in a Malayalam movie. She criticised the Governor for behaving immaturely.
“There is nothing wrong with Governors skipping the full policy address in case they are unwell. But subsequent events prove that he was not unwell. He should have properly delivered his policy address. His actions are immature,” Shailaja said.
She argued that it was the people’s duty to protest against the saffronisation of universities by the Governor, who holds the authority as the Chancellor of universities in the state.
Referring to Governor Khan’s recent sit-in against a black flag protest by SFI members at Nilamel in Kollam district, Shailaja stated, “What he did was unbecoming of the post he holds.”
(With PTI Inputs)
May 08, 2024
Jan 28, 2024
Jan 28, 2024
Jan 27, 2024
Jan 25, 2024
May 24, 2023
