THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what appears to be a direct tussle between the ruling party and the Governor, the CPM leadership has come out openly criticising Governor Arif Mohammad Khan terming his stance anti-democratic. The three-day CPM state committee meet that concluded here on Friday observed deliberate attempts to sabotage the lone Left government in the country using the Governor.
Referring to the party central committee discussions, state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged deliberate moves being made against the Left government using the Governor. Speaking to the media after the three-day state committee meet, Kodiyeri said the interventions by the Governor are unheard of. The party leadership came down heavily on the Governor for refusing to sign 11 ordinances promulgated by the state government.
"The state government and the Governor are Constitutional establishments that should work hand-in-hand. But the Governor's interventions do not support such a relationship. His actions will only weaken the democratic system," alleged Kodiyeri.
The Union Government had earlier used the Governor's office to sabotage some state governments, he alleged. Kodiyeri alleged that because of Governor Khan's refusal to sign the ordinances, legislations related to key issues like public health are getting affected.
Responding to questions on whether the CPM is for an all-out confrontation with the Governor, Kodiyeri said the party has kept quiet for a long time. But now the Governor has been taking extreme steps forcing the party to publicly respond.
The CPM state secretary alleged that the Union Government has been trying to hinder developmental initiatives in the state. Referring to the Enforcement Directorate notice against former finance minister Thomas Isaac, Kodiyeri said the Centre has been using agencies like ED and CBI to target political opponents. He added that the party will face such actions legally and politically.