The standoff between the Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the State government has escalated further with Mr. Khan announcing his decision to convey his displeasure against the State Law Minster P. Rajeeve and the Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal to the Kerala Chief Minster.
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Speaking at a public function in Kochi on Friday, Mr. Khan said that he would not be surprised if the two Ministers, who showed disrespect to the national office of the Governor, exhibited their ignorance and claimed that they could review the actions of the Governor, are not dropped from the cabinet.
“If they don’t want to drop the Ministers and retain them, let them be retained… I will show my displeasure if the Ministers misbehave,” asserted Mr. Khan.
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The Governor also recollected an incident when former President Giani Zail Singh summoned the Prime Minister to express his displeasure against a cabinet Minister who showed disrespect to the President, which is a national office. The Minister was dropped from the cabinet in two days, he recounted.
The Governor’s assertion comes at a time when the CPI (M) has decided to convene the LDF and undertake an extensive campaign against him.
Hitting out at Mr. Rajeeve, Mr. Khan said the Law Minister was not familiar with the provisions of the Constitution and law. “The ignorant Law Minister says that he going to review the actions of the governor. The Ministers cannot review my actions as they are appointed by me and I will review their actions. Kerala has ignorant people ruling the State even as the brilliant ones are leaving the State for foreign countries,” he said.
The actions of the Governor can be scrutinised only by courts. The Law Minster has no power to scrutinise the actions of the Governor. The Law Minister was showing that he was an ignorant and uneducated man, who was not familiar with the law, Mr. Khan said.
The State Finance Minister, whose main source of revenue is lottery and alcohol, was heard wondering whether a Governor, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh can understand the education system of Kerala. “I advise you not to make such comments against the judges of the Supreme Court, who are from Assam and Maharashtra, and state that they cannot understand the education system of Kerala,” referring to the Supreme Court order cancelling the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala Technical University, the Governor said.