Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday rebutted the State government’s accusation that he had precipitated a constitutional crisis by refusing to sign into law at least eight Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Khan’s comment came against the backdrop of the State government’s plea in Supreme Court that Mr. Khan had “defeated the rights of people, including their right to life” by withholding his assent to important Bills, including a crucial law that seeks to confront mounting post-pandemic public health concerns.
Mr. Khan told newspersons in Thiruvananthapuram that he had created no constitutional crisis as alleged by the government. “Making a statement or observation is not tantamount to inventing a crisis,” he said.
Mr. Khan denied overstepping his constitutional limits as the head of State. “There is a long list of instances where the government has crossed the line. For one, the administration has to seek the Governor’s sanction for introducing Money Bills in the Assembly. I do not want to comment on persons who believe in an ideology that sanctions violence and brute force to achieve their political ends. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court’s decision is binding on all,” he said.
Allegations abound
Mr. Khan’s recent comment was the latest of the tit-for-tat accusations in the government’s bitter dispute with the Raj Bhavan. They also marked a new nadir in the government-Governor relations.
Earlier, Mr. Khan had drawn criticism from the ruling front for stating that “liquor and lottery” were Kerala’s primary sources of revenue and “it was a shame”. Mr. Khan had also obliquely criticised the government for holding the week-long Keraleeyam festival when its treasury was purportedly bone dry.
Mr. Khan had also attracted a sharp riposte from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for suggesting that the government had yet to reply to the clarifications he sought on specific laws and that a personal visit from Mr Vijayan to Raj Bhavan to brief matters would be in order.
Mr. Vijayan replied that he had despatched the Ministers who piloted the Bills to the Raj Bhavan to brief the Governor and answer his queries. He also suggested that Mr. Khan appeared to have a clear political agenda. The State government had moved the Supreme Court after the Kerala High Court refused to set a deadline for the Governor to sign Bills passed by the Assembly into law.
