KOCHI: Expressing displeasure over the criticism made by ministers K N Balagopal and P Rajeeve, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday said the statements exhibited their ignorance. Speaking at a book release function in Kochi, Khan said he will leave it to the discretion of the chief minister whether to drop them from the cabinet or not.
“If they don’t want to drop the ministers, let them be retained. I will leave it to the discretion of the chief minister. But I will show my displeasure if ministers misbehave,” he said. Hitting out at Rajeeve, who said the government will review the actions of the governor, Khan said the law minister was not familiar with the provisions of the Constitution and law.
“The law minister says he is going to review my action. It means he is not familiar with the provisions of the Constitution and law. My actions can be scrutinised only by the courts. Ministers have no authority to scrutinise the governor,” he said. The governor challenged Finance Minister K N Balagopal who said a man from Uttar Pradesh cannot understand the education system in Kerala to make a similar statement against the Supreme Court judges who set aside the appointment the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University vice-chancellor.
“The finance minister, whose main source of revenue is alcohol and lottery, is raising the question whether the governor who is a native of Uttar Pradesh can understand the education system in Kerala. I would advise him to avoid making such statements about the judges of the Supreme Court. Will he say that the judges from Maharashtra and Assam don’t understand the education system in Kerala? That can land him in trouble,” said Khan.
He also said the ministers are showing disrespect to the governor’s office which is a national institution. “It is the bounden duty of every citizen that they abide by the Constitution and show respect to the national institutions. The ministers who are showing disrespect to the national institution, say they will review the governor’s action. There was a minister who spoke in the language of Pakistan on Kashmir. The minister was dropped but the leadership did not say a word against him. This man who is using the language of Pakistan challenged the integrity of India,” Khan said.
The governor also said it was a shame for a state with 100 per cent literacy sources its income from lottery and alcohol. “As the head of this state I feel ashamed. It is the poor who purchase lottery and we are robbing them. Kerala is replacing Punjab as the capital of drugs. Is not the government responsible for this? Everybody carries out a campaign against consumption of liquor. But here it is encouraged,” he said.