Rift between Kerala Governor, CM evident at oath-taking ceremony

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 29 (PTI) The venue of the oath-taking ceremony of two ministers on Friday revealed the extent of differences between Kerala Raj Bhavan and the Left government, with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan refusing to acknowledge each other's presence.

In the brief five-minute ceremony held at Raj Bhavan lawns, neither Khan nor Vijayan exchanged glances despite being seated side by side.

Following the conclusion of the ceremony, the Governor promptly departed from the venue without extending any greetings to the Chief Minister.

The feud between the two institutions was evident as the CM and most of his ministerial colleagues chose not to attend the tea party organised at Raj Bhavan post the oath-taking ceremony.

Only Forest Minister A K Saseendran, along with the new ministers K B Ganesh Kumar and Ramachandran Kadanapalli, were present at the gathering, an official source said.

Later, Raj Bhavan released photos featuring Khan alongside the new ministers and their families.

The oath-taking ceremony took place against the backdrop of an ongoing feud between the Governor and the ruling Left, marked by heated exchanges.

In recent weeks, the state has witnessed dramatic scenes and verbal clashes between the Governor on one side and the Chief Minister and the SFI on the other.

This discord revolves around the appointments made by Khan to the senate of some universities in the state. PTI