CPI(M) mouthpiece slams Kerala Governor for "anti-govt" stand

 As the war of words between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the Left government intensified, the CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani on Saturday slammed him for making "political statements" and alleged he was "threatening" the state in a "tough language".

In a hard-hitting editorial, it said the governor who spoke to the media and in Delhi without understanding the stature of the position being held by him, was making "political statements". In a lengthy report titled "Governor's political game", it said the Governor is a person who should act in accordance with the Constitution and above personal preferences.

Enraged over the mass participation of people in the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Kerala, Khan was "threatening" the state in a "tough language", it alleged.

The editorial attacked Khan for coming out in public against the LDF government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for not informing him before moving the apex court against the CAA and for not signing the ordinance regarding the local self-government ward delimitation.

"The attempt is to establish a precedent that the state has no independent power and it should await the Governor's permission even for constitutionally guaranteed rights," it said.

The Constitution does not mandate the state government to inform every decision to the Governor.

This is evident in Article 167 of the Constitution, the editorial pointed out. The Chief Minister has only the constitutional obligation to inform the decisions of the state cabinet, and not the daily decisions of the government, the daily stated.

Justifying the anti-CAA resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly, the newspaper said it was "legal" and "passed in accordance with the rules and regulations.

There is no need to inform the governor in advance before the resolution is passed," it added.