May ask Centre to withdraw Governor Khan: Kerala CM Vijayan

After moving Supreme Court over Bills not signed by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said his government may consider approaching the Centre, seeking his withdrawal. Khan has been at loggerheads with the Left government in the state over various issues.

Vijayan, addressing the media in Kollam on Monday (December 18) as part of the ongoing Nava Kerala Sadas, said Khan was trying to disrupt peace in the state by creating deliberate provocation.

“To maintain a cordial Centre-state relationship, the actions of the Governor should be rectified. The state government feels that he is trying to disrupt peace and harmony in the state. It seems like we will have to ask the Centre to remove him,” Vijayan said, replying to various queries.

“Behaviour violates etiquette”

Lashing out at Khan, Vijayan added that the Governor has now taken to making personal attacks and has been blurting out whatever comes to his mind. “His behaviour violates a certain etiquette to be followed by a Governor. The Centre should examine this,” Vijayan said.

The Left leader continued his attack on Khan and said he should explain from where he received the list of RSS nominees to the senate of the universities. “The Sangh Parivar wants to control universities across the country. But their agenda to control the higher education sector and to implement saffronisation will not work in Kerala,” Vijayan said.

He also said the Governor usually nominates people to the senate from a list prepared by the university, but Khan has appointed Sangh Parivar affiliates.

The Leftist students’ body SFI has been staging protests against the Governor, alleging that he has been pushing BJP-RSS nominees to the senate in various universities in Kerala, using his authority as the chancellor of universities in the state.

The SFI alleges that Khan’s actions were part of the BJP’s saffronisation agenda.

(With agency inputs)