Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s ‘uncustomary’ attack on the government set off ripples across the State’s political spectrum.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed Mr. Khan’s ‘stream of invective’ against the government and socialist ideology, ‘anti-communist’ propaganda.
Addressing a public meeting in Kannur, Mr. Vijayan said Mr. Khan was entitled to his political views. But as Governor, the Constitution demanded he remained above the fray. Mr. Vijayan urged him not to stoop to the level of Opposition politicians.
Law Minister P. Rajeeve cited Mr. Khan’s interaction with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on the eve of the ‘norm-shattering’ press conference at Raj Bhavan to impute a political motive to the Governor’s foray against the government.
He also slammed Mr. Khan’s take that Marxism is a foreign ideology. “He has echoed the RSS. If so, the Governor’s office is a residue of colonial rule. India adopted parliamentary and democratic values from the West. The RSS organised itself on the lines of Mussolini’s fascist Black Shirts.”
Mr. Rajeeve said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi needed to clarify whether his party concurred with Mr. Khan's position that Cabinet decisions were not binding on the Governor, who could withhold assent to duly passed legislation.
‘State must move HC’
CPI(M) central secretariat member A.K. Balan said the government should move the President and High Court Chief Justice against the Governor for violating his oath of office. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran said Mr. Khan's charge that the government had restrained the police from probing the attack on the latter at Kannur University was grave.
‘Law and order suffers’
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said the attack on Mr. Khan reflected the deteriorating law and order situation in Kerala caused by CPI(M)‘s ‘subversion of the criminal justice system to suit the ruling party’s political ends.’ He said the Chief Minister’s office was a hive of criminals. BJP State president K. Surendran demanded Mr. Vijayan’s resignation in the wake of Mr. Khan’s revelations.
‘Not fit for the post’
Left Democratic Front convener E.P. Jayarajan said the Governor had said nothing new. “He spoke emotionally. It could have been a mental breakdown. I could not see the attitude of a mature administrator in him. Something has happened to him,” Mr. Jayarajan said.
“The Governor says that he has been associated with the RSS since 1986. He is not fit to hold the post of the Governor as an RSS man in State with 40% minority communities,” he said.
