‘Political cover for governors’ interference’: Thomas Isaac slams Raj Bhavan renaming move

Former Kerala Finance Minister and CPI(M) central committee member Dr TM Thomas Isaac has sharply criticised the Union government’s decision to rename Raj Bhavans as “Lok Bhavans”, calling it a “misleading attempt to mask the unconstitutional conduct” of Governors in several states.

In a detailed statement, Dr Isaac said mere renaming would not make Governors people-friendly.

‘Governors must respect will of the people’

“If they truly want to be Lok Bhavan, they must first learn to respect the will of the people,” he said, arguing that governors appointed by the BJP have been repeatedly acting against elected state governments.

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He pointed out that India’s multi-party federal structure requires the governor to function as a ceremonial authority bound by the advice of the state Cabinet, except in specific situations defined by the Constitution.

‘Undermining people’s mandates’

“But the BJP’s governors have become tools to undermine people’s mandates. A name change cannot hide this decline,” he remarked.

Dr Isaac accused governors of indefinitely withholding Bills passed by state legislatures without offering any constitutional justification.

“If they have objections, they must return the Bill with reasons. And once the Assembly passes it again, the courts can examine its validity. But today, governors are simply sitting on laws,” he said.

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Referring to the controversy over university governance, he noted that the governor’s role as Chancellor stems not from the Constitution but from laws enacted by state legislatures. When these powers were allegedly misused to impose the Centre’s ideological agenda on universities, the Kerala Assembly unanimously amended the law.

“Even that amendment has been blocked because the governor wants to hold on to these powers against public interest,” he said.

SC criticism of Kerala Governor Khan

Dr Isaac highlighted the recent Supreme Court criticism of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan in the matter of Vice-Chancellor appointments. The court had observed that the Governor had not given any weight to the report filed by retired Justice Subhashis Dhulia regarding appointments at APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Digital University.

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“Governors like Arif Mohammed Khan behave as though they are above both state governments and the courts,” Isaac said, adding that constitutional institutions must act in accordance with the Constitution, something governors are failing to do.

‘Neither Raj Bhavan nor Lok Bhavan is needed’

He also dismissed the official explanation that the renaming is part of shedding colonial legacies.

“The governorship itself is a colonial relic, rooted in the 1935 Government of India Act. If colonial traditions are to be rejected, it is the governor’s post that should go, not the name of Raj Bhavan,” he said.

Dr Isaac alleged that the renaming exercise is aimed at giving a “people-centric veneer” to political interventions by Governors.

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“BJP-appointed governors are already organising public outreach events centred on Raj Bhavan. They are weakening the federal structure, and this rebranding is just another tactic,” he said.

He concluded that neither Raj Bhavan nor Lok Bhavan is needed.

“The state legislature and the elected state government are enough.”