Kerala CM-Guv rift escalates to next level

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan upped the ante against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the state government by declaring that he would seek an explanation from the government on why he was not consulted before moving the Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The Governor was talking to newspersons before emplaning to Delhi, where he is expected to brief the Home Ministry about recent developments. Quoting rules of procedures, the Governor said that the chief minister was answerable to him and that the law is not above all, including himself.

Arif Mohammed Khan also challenged the propriety of the state assembly passing a resolution against CAA as it related to a subject that was the responsibility of the Centre. The house had misused public money for deliberating on an issue that was outside its concern, he said.

“The rules of the Assembly provide that the legislature shall not discuss any subject which does not come under their constitutional jurisdiction,” he said.

Earlier, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala had called upon the Governor not to sign the ordinance as it was meant to promote the agenda of the ruling CPI-M, which according to him wanted to manipulate the voters list to bring undue advantage to the ruling front.

Union minister of state V Muraleedharan joined the fray, saying that Pinarayi Vijayan now has no option but to receive blows because he had given the Governor the stick to beat him with. He said that the chief minister will now learn what the Constitution really means and who the Governor is.

The rules of the Assembly provide that the legislature shall not discuss any subject which does not come under their constitutional jurisdiction