KERALA GUV WRITES TO PREZ AGAINST CM VIJAYAN’S FOREIGN VISITS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid his growing rift with the state government, Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan has written to President Droupadi Murmu, alleging that he was not informed about a 10-day foreign trip taken by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the first week of October, people close to the Raj Bhavan said.

It is customary for the chief minister to brief the governor ahead of a foreign trip and then call on the governor upon return. The governor has also alleged that he was unaware of the arrangements made to run the government while Vijayan was on the 10-day trip, said one of the people mentioned above.

Vijayan had travelled to Finland, Norway and the United Kingdom along with a contingent in October and stayed in the United Arab Emirates for a few days.

The CM’s office said Khan was informed about the trip when he visited Kannur to pay his respects to deceased Marxist leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on October 3.

After his visit, the CM held a press conference in the state capital on October 18, saying “it was a successful trip” aimed at boosting investment and cooperation with European countries.

The governor wrote to Murmu in the second week of October, saying that he came to know about the trip through media reports, said the person mentioned above.

The uneasy relationship between Khan and the CM took a downward turn in August after the governor refused to sign 11 ordinances brought by the government, which was later forced to call a special session of the assembly to pass these legislations. On Thursday, Khan raised serious allegations against Vijayan saying his office was patronising smuggling activities in the state.