Kerala: With a scathing rebuttal, CM Pinarayi takes on Governor's 'vilification campaign'

The renewed conflict between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan seems to be escalating after the former penned a strongly worded rebuttal to the recent allegations made by the latter.

In a letter to the Governor, the Kerala Chief Minister launched a scathing rebuttal against recent criticisms made against him and the working of the state government by the Governor, stating that “allegations without factual basis and personal insults do not help to understand matters or draw clear and unbiased conclusions”.

He strongly objected to the Governor's alleged statement that the CM "lacked credibility and had something to hide".

The letter, dated October 13, signals escalating tensions between the two constitutional offices as the state government responded in detail to various accusations aimed at it.

Also read: Tenure over, Kerala governor renews spat with govt, now over gold smuggling

The Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan explained that a 27-day delay in replying to a previous communication from the governor was due to the need for thorough inquiries into allegations raised by MLA P V Anvar.

“Enquiries were being conducted, and it takes reasonable time to gather facts,” the CM clarified, dismissing any suggestion of deliberate procrastination. Further, in what seemed like a pointed jab at the governor, he added, “The habit of sitting on even bills passed by the legislature has drawn adverse remarks from the apex court.”

Anti-national activities

The letter denied claims linking Kerala to anti-national activities, asserting that neither his controversial interviewwith The Hindu nor subsequent statements mentioned such accusations.

“In my letter dated October 7, 2024, I had expressed my disagreement with the Hon'ble Governor summoning the chief secretary and the state police chief to clarify media reports about part of a statement attributed to me. As stated above, this statement was publicly denied, and the newspaper expressed regrets for the error. When I have clarified that I have not made such a statement and the daily which published it has accepted the error, there is no point in trying to find untenable reasons to give unwarranted twists. The matter has been clarified in the state assembly also, where the government expressed willingness to hold a two-hour discussion on this and related matters, which shakes the very foundation of the so-called something-to-hide argument,” wrote Pinarayi Vijayan.

“With all respect in my command, I am constrained to say that one cannot be blamed for being genuinely apprehensive that such misconceived versions, bereft of any authenticity, repeatedly being made in public, in one form or another, is as part of a sustained vilification campaign to malign the state and its residents. I am sorry to state that your good self's repeated misplaced reliance on unsubstantiated media reports is solely with an intention to find support, somehow or other, for wholly unwarranted imputations,” wrote the CM.

Also read: Kerala Guv wants presidential attention on gold smuggling

Governor responds

Meanwhile, the Governor once again attacked Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday (October 14), accusing him of orchestrating physical attack.

“When goons attacked my car, the Chief Minister didn’t condemn the act. Instead, he questioned why I stepped out of the vehicle. This was meant to intimidate me,” the governor alleged.

“I’ve been informed that Raj Bhavan received the letter, but it seems the issues I raised haven’t been addressed. The CM claims he didn’t mention "anti-national activity" in the interview, yet he said that crimes amounting to offenses against the nation have been happening for the past three years. So, what’s the difference? asked the governor.

Gold smuggling

In his letter to the governor, Pinarayi Vijayan also stressed that gold smuggling is “a crime against the nation” due to its impact on illicit currency flow and tax evasion but clarified that the enforcement rests with the Union government.

Based on effective surveillance, the state police has taken prompt action in many cases where gold and cash have been found under suspicious circumstances and the statistics were placed on the official website of the police and the press was also briefed regarding the figures by me, he added.

“I have stated nothing more and nothing less. Now, the same is being misconceived, probably purposefully, in a manner never intended by me,” read the letter.

The CM also countered the governor’s purported claim that the Kerala police had acknowledged on its website that gold smuggling funds were being channelled to banned organisations.

“A press release from the Kerala police has clarified that no such statement was ever made on their official website,” the letter stated.

The Chief Minister defended the state police, explaining that when suspicious quantities of gold were discovered, law enforcement acted promptly by seizing the gold and handing it over to the jurisdictional magistrate. Additionally, relevant updates had been shared at Regional Economic Intelligence Committee meetings held in November 2023 and May 2024.

Personal attacks

Expressing dismay over what he described as personal attacks, the CM warned of a hidden agenda behind these remarks. “I am now compelled to infer that there is, in fact, definitely something hidden behind this deliberate personal insult,” he wrote, hinting at a deeper motive behind the governor’s criticism.

The CM also cautioned against “a sustained vilification campaign to malign the state and its residents,” raising concerns about the potential motivations driving such actions.

On the governor's concerns regarding policy briefings, the CM detailed the process followed by the government, explaining that ministers regularly visit the governor to present legislative updates. He reiterated that all legislative proposals are submitted to the governor prior to the Council of Ministers meetings.

Deepening friction

This latest heated exchange highlights deepening friction between the CM and the governor, reflecting wider challenges in the working relationship between the state and the Central authorities.

The Opposition UDF has dismissed the situation, accusing the government and the Governor of working together to create a smokescreen. However, political analysts suggest that the CM’s strong response signals a calculated effort to resist what the government sees as undue interference, especially at a time when various political issues corner the government and the ruling party.