The budget session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly got off to an arguably ominous start on Friday with Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan upbraiding the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition for attempting to disrupt his policy address for the next fiscal. The UDF boycotted the session midway through the governor's speech.
The opposition greeted Mr. Khan with shouts of "Governor go back" even as the police brass band rendered a shrill fanfare to announce his arrival in the House,
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Speaker M. B Rajesh escorted Mr. Khan.
Opposition protest
Leader of the Opposition, V. D. Satheesan, rose from his seat and attempted to raise a Point of Order as Mr. Khan stepped up to the Speaker's rostrum to deliver the policy address.
The placards raised by UDF legislators, loud sloganeering from the opposition benches and Mr. Satheesan's vain attempt to attract the attention of the Speaker apparently irked Mr. Khan.
Governor's outburst
Addressing Mr. Satheesan directly, Mr. Khan said: “You are a responsible person. You are the Leader of the Opposition. You have a full session to discuss all the issues. Now is not the right time to express dissent. You have to allow me to discharge my constitutional obligation.”
UDF walkout
UDF members held placards that read "Governor Go Back" and "Lokayukta Ordinance to save CM". They denounced Mr. Khan as a "BJP governor". Later, the opposition members shuffled out of the House and staged a protest outside the Assembly hall. Soon, Mr. Satheesan led them out of the precincts.
Addressing the media at the Assembly gates, Mr. Satheesan alleged that the government and governor were hands in glove.
Lokayukta ordinance
Mr. Khan had unquestioningly assented to the Lok Ayukta amendment ordinance that sought to wrest anti-corruption powers from the ombudsman and vest them in the political executive to save Mr. Vijayan from a slew of severe graft charges.
In reciprocation, Mr. Vijayan had allowed Mr. Khan to appoint a BJP apparatchik as the latter's Additional Private Assistant in the Raj Bhavan.
Questionable appointment
Mr. Satheesan said the questionable appointment drew an "adverse reaction" from the Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, K. R. Jyotilal.
In writing, the senior bureaucrat informed the governor that there was no precedent for appointing persons active in politics in the Raj Bhavan.
Mr. Jyothilal counselled the Raj Bhavan to adhere to "prevailing norms". He said the government had merely consented to Mr. Khan's "desire" to appoint the particular person. At the same time, the administration stuck to the opinion evinced in its communique to Raj Bhavan.
Raj Bhavan rebuffed
Mr. Satheesan said the Governor felt rebuffed. He retaliated by refusing to grant his imprimatur for the policy address.
Mr. Khan had the government on tenterhooks for the better part of Thursday. Finally, the government "ransomed" itself by offering "Mr. Jyothilal's head on a silver platter" to Mr. Khan.
Mr. Satheesan asked Mr. Vijayan to clarify whether Mr. Jyotilal had written the controversial letter to Mr. Khan at the government's behest. "The CM has scapegoated a senior bureaucrat who pointed out the impropriety in appointing a political functionary in the Raj Bhavan", he said.
‘Govt held to ransom’
He also slammed Mr. Khan for holding the government to ransom by refusing to discharge his constitutional duty. "Once the cabinet finalises the policy address, the governor is constitutionally bound to approve it. Mr. Khan has violated the constitution by refusing, though transiently, to give his stamp of endorsement", he said.
Mr. Satheesan said the constitutional crisis precipitated by the governor had no precedence in the history of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
The governor had used the policy address to drive a hard bargain with the government. Mr. Vijayan succumbed to Mr.Khan's pressure to avert an awkward constitutional crisis.
LDF's view
The government also seemed to hold a comparable opinion. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, K. Radhakrishnan, said that those holding constitutional office should adhere to the law and not shirk from discharging their statutory responsibilities.
CPI(M) State secretariat member termed the episode a "trifling matter". He said the governor behaviour appeared "childish".
