THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ( KERALA ): Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V M Sudheeran has come out against the NDA Government’s decision to appoint former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam as the Governor of Kerala. Stating that the Governor’s post comes under the President of India, who is administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice, he said the appointment cannot be accepted.
It was not right for a person who was the highest-ranking judge in the apex court to become a Governor under the President. The appointment of Governors have now-a-days become political, Sudheeran told reporters here on Sunday. The senior Congress leader said, while Supreme Court judges have become Governors, the Chief Justices of the apex court have never been appointed in gubernatorial posts. Noting that the appointment of persons who had held top judicial powers to the Governor’s post should be widely debated, Sudheeran said Constitutional experts should discuss the issue in depth. The government has already cleared the name of Justice Sathasivam and forwarded it for the President’s assent. Justice Sathashivam had said that the PM himself approved his name.
The NDA Government recommended Justice Sathasivam for appointment as Kerala Governor after former Delhi CM Shiela Dikshit tendered her resignation as the Governor. Dikshit was appointed a few days ahead of the LS polls after she faced a humiliating defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls.