The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Assembly on Friday denied leave to Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala to introduce a legislative motion to urge the President to recall Governor Mohammed Arif Khan.
Mr. Chennithala had sought to censure Mr. Khan for his “disparaging public remarks against the Assembly” for the passage of the unanimous resolution demanding the abrogation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) enacted by Parliament.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) members, who are the majority in the BAC, felt the Opposition’s proposal lacked legislative precedent. The Assembly had already fixed its agenda and could ill afford to allow time to debate and vote on the Governor's conduct.
The LDF saw an Opposition plot to precipitate a rift between the government and the Governor. It felt the proposal was not in legal order. Four United Democratic Front (UDF) members who attended the BAC meeting dissented from the majority view of LDF members.
They UDF members are Mr. Chennithala, Kerala Congress (M) leader P.J. Joseph, Congress leader K.C. Joseph and M. Ummer of the Indian Union Muslim League.
The leaders registered their protest in writing against the government’s decision to disallow the motion. Later, preparing the field for a protracted political confrontation with the government in the Assembly and outside, Mr. Chennithala said the LDF had capitulated to the Governor.
The government had frittered away a historical opportunity for the House to send an unequivocal message to the Centre, which repeatedly subverted the Governor's office to assail politically opposed State governments.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's words against the CAA and other trespasses of the Centre against the federal spirit were mere tokenism. “He is afraid of the Centre and has surrendered to the Governor in the interest of self-preservation,” he said.
Mr. Chennithala said he saw a rift between the Speaker and Parliamentary Affairs A.K. Balan. Mr. Balan had contradicted the Speaker by stating the UDF's motion lacked legal grounding.
He said that West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry had set legal precedents by passing resolutions against overreaching Governors. But, the LDF was afraid to follow suit, Mr. Chennithala said.
