Battle in Kerala
With all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala at stake in the second phase of polling tomorrow, the electoral drama unfolds with its usual intensity, underscoring the unique political landscape of the state.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has, on Wednesday, hit out at Governor Arif Mohammed Khan accusing him of insulting the constitution of India which he is supposed to uphold.
Addressing the media here, Vijayan said the governor is bound to act as advised by the cabinet. As per the Constitution, the governor is the constitutional head of the state and the executive power is vested in the elected government.
He further said that the Supreme Court, in the Shamsher Singh case, said that the governor has no authority to reject the decision of the cabinet. He termed the press conference held by the governor at Raj Bhavan as unprecedented not only in Kerala but even in the entire country.
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Alleging that Governor Khan is a tool in the hands of RSS, Pinarayi Vijayan said, “Sarkaria Commission said that the governor should be a person who does not interfere in active politics. However, the other day we saw the governor praising the RSS in the press conference.”
Criticising the governor for holding the bills passed by the assembly, he said the governor is violating the constitution.
The CM said that the governor is taking revenge on historian Irfan Habib who always opposed the RSS.
“Irfan Habib is a historian respected all around the world. But he was called a goon by the governor. The governor is saying that the 92-year-old Irfan Habib tried to kill him. Earlier, he had repeatedly called Kannur University V-C Gopinath Ravindran a criminal. They are on the hate list of the RSS. That is why the governor is attacking them,” the CM said.
“There is nothing new in the RSS attacking historians. But how can a person hold the governor’s post become a tool of the RSS,” he asked.
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