Kerala: Governor vs CM row hits a new low; state wants Centre to 'control' Khan

The state government is also mulling over making a representation to the President or Prime Minister, alleging the Governor is intentionally fomenting unrest in the state. Vijayan, who seems to be in no mood to back down, slammed the Governor by stating that his government is left with no other option but to take up the issue with the Centre.

Centre must control Governor

Calling the Governor's actions "unequivocally wrong and unacceptable”, Vijayan said, “There appears to be an underlying motive behind his actions, and it seems he is actively pursuing it. He wants to paint a picture that everything is out of control here. How can we tolerate such behaviour?”

“We may be compelled to notify the central government that the Governor is attempting to disturb the tranquil atmosphere in the state. We will determine whether to address the letter to the Prime Minister or the President. If the Union government is not for a stressed relationship with the state, they should interfere to control the governor,” added Vijayan.

“The Union government should assess the situation, considering the Governor is a representative of the central government. Some members of the government appear to be justifying the Governor's actions, leading to suspicions of collusion. The central government should intervene and address the situation to prevent further deterioration in the relationship between the Centre and the state. The Governor's provocative statements are escalating tensions and warrant immediate attention and rectification,” asserted the Kerala CM in his daily media briefing as part of the outreach programme, Navakerala Sadas.

Governor issues press release

The Governor took an unusual step of releasing an official press release late in the night, after SFI activists erected a series of black banners at Calicut University campus labelling Khan as a 'Sanghi Governor'.

Another banner clearly stated that the ‘chancellor is not welcome’ in the university. Though the Governor summoned senior police officers and the university’s vice-chancellor and directed them to remove the banners, fresh ones were promptly erected by SFI activists.

This time, the new banners featured even more provocative slogans. The Governor alleged that these posters have been put up by the state police on Vijayan's directions.

The Raj Bhavan press release said, “Hon’ble Governor feels that this cannot happen without the direction of the Chief Minister and that this clearly is the beginning of the collapse of the constitutional machinery in the State.”

Congress in a corner

The development has put the main Opposition party, UDF, in a sticky situation.

In the beginning, Congress leaders appeared to align with the Governor, criticising the SFI and the CPI(M) for taking the issue of the nomination of senate members of the universities to the streets.

Shashi Tharoor’s post on the microblogging site X labelling the Kerala police under CM Pinarayi Vijayan's administration as ‘agents of lawlessness’ asserting that they have been accomplices in the ruling party's "worst excesses”, has already invited strong criticism from Left leaders. Meanwhile, Opposition leader V D Satheesan dubbed the tussle between the CM and the Governor as nothing but a 'cat and mouse game' accusing the two of being hand in glove in many issues.

While a string of Congress leaders including veteran leader K C Joseph and T Siddique, an MLA, have slammed the SFI and CPI(M) for taking the battle with the Governor to the streets.

The CPI(M) has taken this opportunity to push their campaign that the Congress is incapable of taking on the Sangh Parivar agenda, highlighting how the Congress leaders are rushing to defend the Governor.

Unconstitutional position

In a statement, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan accused the governor of taking an ‘unconstitutional’ position by confronting a democratically elected government. He asserted that the people of Kerala can see through his actions and are not deceived by false narratives crafted in collaboration with BJP leaders.

Meanwhile, K Surendran, the BJP state president, expressed his view that there is no need to impose the president's rule in Kerala.

According to him, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan can handle any law and order situation. Responding to speculations suggesting that the Governor's ongoing conflict with the Left front government is a strategy to facilitate President's rule in Kerala, Surendran asserted that the Opposition parties in the state will guide Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to pursue the correct course.