THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an attempt to set a new practice, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has convened a Christmas feast on Wednesday and has invited prominent socio-political and cultural leaders including Church heads in the state capital.
However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his council of ministers in addition to Opposition leader V D Satheesan will not attend the Christmas celebration organised by the governor. Apart from political leaders, the governor has also invited senior civil servants, religious heads, cultural leaders and civic dignitaries to the function. Industry heads and dignitaries from film field are also invited.
The governor is organising a Christmas celebration and feast in Kochi on December 17.
Invitations to participate in the programme were sent to the CM and other ministers as a gesture of truce from the Raj Bhavan. However, each of them has individually decided not to attend. The CM and ministers, however, did not intimate the Rajbhavan of their decision.
The government move is viewed as toughening of its stand against the governor. On Tuesday, the assembly will pass the University Amendment Bill to remove the governor from the post of chancellor. V D Satheesan will also not attend the function. He will fly to New Delhi on Tuesday after the assembly session ends and from there to Jaipur to attend Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.
CM’S CHRISTMAS MEET
Meanwhile, the chief minister is also organising a Christmas meet in Thiruvananthapuram on December 20. The government is yet to invite the governor to the party. However, the governor is unlikely to be in the capital on the particular day.