THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The standoff between Arif Mohammed Khan and the LDF government took a marked turn after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shot off a letter to President Droupadi Murmu through Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the governor.
Meanwhile, Khan told reporters that he would not give in to the state government’s attempts to provoke him.
In the letter, the CM accused Khan of not carrying out his constitutional obligations and of engaging in protocol violations, while listing out his ‘unusual’ actions. There are indications the CM sought Murmu’s urgent intervention, including recalling the governor. Sources said the government has kept Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the loop about its demand for Khan’s recall.
Pinarayi cited recent instances — Khan stepping out of his official vehicle while on the way to the airport in Thiruvananthapuram and his provocative response to SFI activists, as well as his street walk in Kozhikode — to highlight protocol violations by the governor. Bringing up the pending Bills, the CM said Khan was yet to give assent to many pieces of legislation passed by the assembly.
“The government has the option to approach the President through the Union government to recall the governor for failing to fulfil his constitutional duties. That’s why such a letter has now been sent,” said a source. The CM had recently said the government planned to approach the Centre and the President against Khan.
Addressing the Nava Kerala Sadas earlier in the day, Pinarayi accused Khan of trying to precipitate a conflict in the state and said the student community exercised restraint and evaded the governor’s trap. He accused Khan of trying to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in Kerala.
Government trying to provoke, but I won’t give in: Governor
“The governor used bad words against the student organisation, but the students did not stoop to his level. His act shows he’s involved in disrupting the peaceful atmosphere in the state. He tried to ignite conflict. But the student community showed restraint, and hence the governor could not ignite a conflict on a scale he wished,” the CM said in Thiruvananthapuram.
In the evening, Khan retorted by saying the government was trying to provoke him into taking drastic action, but he would not oblige. He claimed the government was unable to perform its constitutional responsibility as the state was under a “financial emergency.” “A man who organises attacks on the governor does not deserve a response from me. Despite the Supreme Court's judgment, they are not going to give up interfering in the affairs of universities. I will make sure they do not succeed in their design.
Their affidavit says Kerala is not even in a position to honour the financial guarantees the state government has given. This is a clear-cut acknowledgement that Kerala is under a financial emergency. You are unable to pursue or perform your Constitutional responsibility. Still, they are doing all this as I now feel they have a design; they are trying to create a situation where some drastic action is taken. I am not going to oblige them,” Khan told reporters on his way to the airport.
Khan is expected to report on SFI activists blocking him and subsequent developments to the Centre soon. He will be in New Delhi until the week next and is expected to take up issues related to the state government with the Centre.